Ahead of the Royal Challengers Bangalore’s (RCB) game against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Dr DY Patil Sports Academy, wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik has spoken about his role as a finisher for the Faf du Plessis-led side.
In their opening game against Punjab Kings (PBKS) on Sunday (March 17), Karthik’s unbeaten 32 off 14 deliveries helped RCB surpass the 200 mark in the allotted 20 overs.
Speaking on the Inside RCB show on Star Sports, Dinesh Karthik said: “My aim is to hit as many boundaries as I can in the middle order. It is always a challenge, but it’s an interesting one for everybody.”
“My role is to achieve whatever we can in the backend of the game and try to do whatever is required for the team, either setting a target or helping win the game. So, that is what I will be focussing on,” he added.
Karthik’s 32-run innings was laced with three boundaries and as many hits into the stands.
On Sunday, despite skipper du Plessis (88 off 57) heroics and Karthik’s magnificent knock in the middle-order, the Bengaluru-based side were on the losing side, thanks to a collective effort by the Punjab top-order and a eight-ball 25-run cameo by Odean Smith.
Chasing the massive 206-run target, Pubjab were off to a decent start as openers Mayank Agarwal (32) and Shikhar Dhawan (43) laid the foundation of the win.
Apart from the duo, Punjab wicketkeeper-batsman Bhanuka Rajapaksa also helped with a valuable 43-run knock while Liam Livingstonec and Shahrukh Khan chipped in with 19 and 24 runs respectively before Smith’s fireworks helped the Mayank Agarwal-led side cross the line with one over to spare.
The du Plessis-led side will now be eyeing to register their first win of the season when they take on the KKR on Wednesday.
While the Shreyas Iyer-led KKR won its first outing this season on Saturday (March 26), RCB suffered a defeat in its tournament opener. In the season’s first game, KKR handed a six-wicket defeat to CSK while the RCB endured a five-wicket loss against Punjab Kings (PBKS) on Sunday (March 27).
After today’s game, the RCB will be up against Rajasthan Royals, the inaugural IPL champions, at the historic Wankhede Stadium on April 5 (Tuesday).