Dinesh Karthik has performed exceptionally well since his return to the Indian T20I team in June this year. Playing as a designated finisher, the right-hander has produced a number of match-winning cameos and strengthened his claims for the T20 World Cup 2022 selection.
All of this wouldn’t have been possible without his stunning exploits in the IPL 2022. Playing for RCB, the 37-year-old amassed 330 runs from 16 innings at an incredible strike rate of 183.33 and regained his place in the national side after three years.
In an interview with the Times of India, RCB’s director of cricketing operations Mike Hesson recently explained why they decided to rope in Karthik, saying they found the wicketkeeper-batter highly motivated and he wanted to push his case to play for India.
“DK came from the wilderness. We talked about giving clear directions and roles. So, he could plan with some real purpose. The results are there for everyone to see, not just in the IPL but for the Indian side as well. Prior to the auction, we reached out to DK and realised he was highly motivated to come and do well. He wanted to come on board and push his case to play for India with a specific role. Once we knew he was a highly motivated player who wanted to do better, work incredibly hard and we needed a finisher, we both came on board. We gave him a lot of clarity on the role we wanted him to play and told him, this is one role we want you to be an expert at,” Hesson was quoted as saying.
Ahead of the IPL 2022, RCB were taken aback by AB de Villiers’ decision to retire from professional cricket but the way Karthik stepped up, he certainly fulfilled the role of a finisher.
“To get an Indian finisher was difficult. The role requires experience because there is a lot of pressure that needs to be absorbed. We had AB de Villiers who was outstanding in the role but there are very few players who are like ABD. For us to have an Indian player fulfill that role, we felt we needed somebody who would do it differently. DK is a different type of power player and not many thought of him as a power player. But we watched him closely from overs 15-20 and he did well in those overs. He hadn’t done particularly well when he was given other roles (before RCB) and we felt he had plenty to offer,” Hesson added.
Dinesh Karthik will be next seen in action in the 2022 edition of the Indian Premier League, slated to be held in the UAE from August 27 to September 11.
(With TOI inputs)
