WATCH| Virat Kohli Speaks About How Dinesh Karthik Helped Him in IPL 2022, Says ‘Gave me an Honest Explaination’
New Delhi: Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s last game against the Kolkata Knight Riders was not just the final game of the season, but it was also the last game of their wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik. Prior to the start of the season, he announced that this season would be his last playing the sport. In a video uploaded via RCB’s social media handles, the team said farewell to the veteran wicketkeeper. Virat Kohli paid a heartfelt tribute, saying that he helped him in bad phases where the batter was not doing well.
“Off the field, I have had some really nice and interesting conversations with him and he is a very wise man. He has great knowledge about a lot of things, not just cricket. I have thoroughly enjoyed my conversations with him. Even in the phase in 2022 when I didn’t have a great IPL season and I was really struggling for confidence. He sat me down a couple of times and just gave me a very honest explanation of how he is seeing things and maybe I’m not being able to see them myself,” the former RCB Captain said in the video.
DK, We love you!
Not often do you find a cricketer who’s loved by everyone around him. DK is one, because he was smart, humble, honest, and gentle! Celebrating @DineshKarthik‘s career with stories from his best friends and family! #PlayBold #ನಮ್ಮRCB #WeLoveYouDK pic.twitter.com/fW3bLGMQER
— Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) May 24, 2024
Kohli also praised Karthik’s honesty and courage to go and speak with people, which is the reason why they became so close. He said, “I just like his honesty, his courage to go and speak to anyone about things that he really dearly feels about. That I think is the most special thing for me, when it comes to Dinesh and that’s something that I’ve always cherished about him. That’s why we get along really really well.”
The heartwarming video features messages from Karthik’s close ones, like Abhishek Nayar, his personal mentor, and Deepika Pallikal Karthik, his wife.
Karthik, 38, had joined RCB in 2022 from the Kolkata Knight Riders for his second stint. He has represented six IPL franchises in his career, scoring 4,842 runs in 257 matches.