Dinesh Karthik has praised Virat Kohli's effort to improve at RCB nets in the ongoing IPL season, saying that it’s this ‘hunger in his mindset’ to keep evolving that makes him a ‘special player’.
Karthik, who called time on his IPL career last year, is currently serving the Bengaluru-based franchise as a batting mento, and thus working with Kohli from close quarters.
Kohli kicked off the IPL 2025 with an unbeaten 59 off 36 balls against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Eden Gardens that helped his team register a seven-wicket victory.
“Even today, just now as I came out, he wanted to work on one more shot," Karthik said in the pre-match press conference for RCB’s clash against CSK at Chepauk, as quoted by PTI.
“At this point in time, to work on one more shot tells you the hunger that he has in his mindset. He wants to just improve and keep raising the bar. So, he is a special player. And at this point in time, the way I see it, he is batting as confidently and as well as he has ever done in the IPL," he added.
RCB’s next match is scheduled against CSK at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Friday (March 28). CSK have dominated RCB over the years at Chepauk, with the Bengaluru-based franchise only managing a single win at this venue way back in the IPL 2008 season.
The Chennai-based franchise will look to exploit RCB’s vulnerabilities on a turning track. CSK’s spin department looks formidable with Ravichandran Ashwin rejoining forces with Ravindra Jadeja and Noor Ahmad.
Karthik downplayed concerns over Kohli's supposed struggles against spin, asserting that the star batter is well-prepared to take on CSK’s potent spin trio.
“He’s coming on some serious runs in the Champions Trophy. He’s batted well in the recent past against spin, especially in white-ball cricket. So, I don’t want to go too deep into stats," Karthik stated.
“I’m not very aware. But if I remember, in the World Cup final, he got runs where it mattered. And apart from that, in the Champions Trophy, he had a good tournament, second-highest run-getter (fifth). And that doesn’t come without playing spin because, in Dubai, as you all know how well it helped the spinners, he was very aware. So, I believe right now, he is batting as well as he has ever done," he remarked.
