While the Indian Premier League (IPL) has always been a birthing ground for fresh talent, it has also provided a platform for experienced players to regain form or consolidate their supremacy. The rise of players like Ayush Badoni, Tilak Verma, Umran Malik, and Vaibhav Arora has been a story in and of itself this year, but the stars of Indian cricket haven't exactly delivered.
In a T20 World Cup year, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's poor performances have cast a pall over their performances, while KL Rahul and Jasprit Bumrah have shown flashes of brilliance. Hardik Pandya, on the other hand, has been the story of this year's IPL, scoring match-winning runs and bowling at speeds over 140kmph.
While most of the focus has been on India's enormous superstars, one man has quietly gone about his job. Given his track record with his previous franchise, no one gave him a chance, but Dinesh Karthik has astonished everyone with his consistency this season with the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). Karthik has been so impressive in the latest season of the IPL that former India coach Ravi Shastri believes this is the best DK has looked in a long time, emphasising the qualities that have made the 36-year-old outstanding.
"He is doing what he loves to do. The positions he is getting into… if you see the way he is batting, he is literally picking his spot. And he’s getting into great positions to play the shots. He is moving early. He is anticipating what the bowler is doing and what he is doing extremely well this year is that the anticipation is coming out to be dead right 99 percent of the times. That makes a difference. You are outsmarting the bowler when you are one step ahead of him," Shastri said on the Byju's Cricket Live Show on Star Sports.
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In IPL 2022, Karthik has 210 runs at an incredible average of 210 from seven matches. He has gone unbeaten in six of his seven batting appearances and has one half-century – an unbeaten 66 against the Delhi Capitals. Shastri singled out one prominent quality in Karthik that he believes is difficult to come across at his age.
"The clarity, the thought process is very good and positive and it's making all the difference in the world. He has all the experience in the world. He has been around for long. He is fit and what's great to see that the hunger is still there. He is playing for a new franchise and the responsibility has been given to him clear cut. He knows his job. One thing I must say is that at his age, he picks up length better than most players younger to him, especially the short ball. He is having a ball. An absolute ball of a time," mentioned the former India all-rounder.
