Dinesh Karthik continues to flourish in the finisher’s role at Royal Challengers Bengaluru as he guided them to a crucial 4-wicket win over Punjab Kings. Karthik, who was doing commentary duties during India vs England Test series earlier this month, picked up the bat in IPL 2024 but showed no signs of rustiness and excelled in the finisher’s role in the first two matches.
The veteran wicketkeeper batter slammed 28 runs* off 10 balls which was laced with three fours and two sixes. When things were going Punjab’s way after Virat Kohli‘s dismissal, Karthik took the onus on himself and finished the game. With 10 runs required off the last over, Karthik smashed Arshdeep Singh for a maximum on the first ball to ease off the pressure as the bowler conceded a wide on the next delivery and later on the second legal ball, the RCB veteran finished it off with a boundary.
Former New Zealand cricketer Simon Doull was highly impressed with Karthik’s calmness in the middle and said it was out of MS Dhoni‘s school of finishing.
“Just shows you the pressure of the situation. I think that’s the key those who hold their nerve a little bit better. That’s why when you’ve got a DK a Dinesh Karthik to get at the backend with that experience. We talked about what he passes on to the youngsters and the side but it’s the experience of keeping calm understanding what the bowler is trying to do, knowing where your strengths are and it’s out of the MS Dhoni school,” Doull said on Cricbuzz.
Elaborating further on Karthik’s impressive knock, Doull asserted the importance of taking the game deeper in the chase to put pressure on the bowlers.
“The deeper you take it as a batting side, the more pressure, the bowlers will be under even if you do need quite a large total, even if you need, 36 of three overs, the deeper, you take at the more pressure, the bowlers will feel under and that’s exactly what’s happening, new his spots there was some indifferent bowling at times with the wrong field-sets. But you’ve still got to be able to finish it off and to be that cool, and that calm under pressure,” Doull added.
[ad_2]