'I was really struggling for confidence...': Virat Kohli opens up about Dinesh Karthik's support during his toughest year

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) paid a touching tribute to their veteran wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik in a recently posted video. While Karthik hasn't officially announced his retirement, speculation suggests that RCB's IPL 2024 campaign, which ended with a loss to Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the Eliminator, marked his final appearance on the field. The post-match guard of honor further fueled these speculations.

The video features teammate Virat Kohli reminiscing about his experiences with Karthik, highlighting a specific instance in 2022 where Karthik offered support during Kohli's personal struggle with form. This gesture showcased the strong bond and camaraderie within the RCB team.

ALSO READ: 'Nobody approached any former Australian cricketer': Jay Shah's shocking reply to Ponting, Langer turning down Indian head coach offer

Kohli remembers Karthik's early days

In the tribute video, Virat Kohli shared his memories of Dinesh Karthik from their early days as teammates.  Kohli described a young Karthik as someone with a lot of energy and enthusiasm.  However, Kohli also noted how Karthik has matured over the years, becoming a calmer and wiser player. This highlights Karthik's growth and development as a cricketer.

“First time I met DK, I remember we were playing in South Africa if I am not wrong in the Champions Trophy 2009. It was the first time I shared the change-room with Dinesh and I found him to be very amusing, I would say hyper-active, confused person, most of the times he was moving all over the place, never stopping. That was my first impression of Dinesh,” Kohli said in the video.

 

“Outstanding talent, brilliant batter to watch and my first impression and present day impression are not far apart. Just that he has become wiser and calmed down a lot,” he added.

 

Kohli reflects on Karthik's support during tough times

The RCB tribute video features Virat Kohli looking back on a particularly challenging period in 2022. During that IPL season, Kohli faced a slump in form, recording three ducks and scoring only 341 runs in 16 matches. The video reveals that Dinesh Karthik stepped up during this time, offering Kohli encouragement and support to help him regain his confidence. This anecdote highlights the strong sense of camaraderie within the RCB team, with teammates looking out for each other during difficult stretches.

 

ALSO READ: Virat Kohli, the 'Chase Master': India's prized jewel with a conqueror's grit ready for another war to end ICC trophy drought in T20 World Cup

ALSO READ: Justin Langer rules himself out of India head coach contention after KL Rahul told him - ‘If you think there's pressure and politics in an IPL team...'

 

“Off the field, I have had some really nice and interesting conversations with him. He is wise man, has great knowledge about a lot of things, not just cricket. I have thoroughly enjoyed my conversations with him. Even in that phase in 2022 when I did not have a great IPL season, I was really struggling for confidence, he sat me down a couple of times and gave me a very honest explanation of how he is seeing things and maybe I am not able to see them myself,” Kohli shared.

 

“So, I just like his honesty and courage to go and speak to anyone about things that he dearly feels about. And that I think is the most special thing for me when it comes to Dinesh and that’s one thing I have always cherished about him. That’s why we get along really really well,” Kohli concluded.

 

Here's the video

 

Karthik, a stalwart beyond the IPL

While Dinesh Karthik carved a successful path in the IPL, even leading the Kolkata Knight Riders as captain, his impact extends beyond the tournament.  He represented India for an impressive 18 years, featuring in 26 Tests, 94 ODIs, and 60 T20Is. This highlights his long and distinguished career on the international stage.

 

 

MORE ON SPORTS TAK:

Virat Kohli's first reaction after RCB's loss in Eliminator in IPL 2024 against Rajasthan Royals

ICC hands Pakistan legend Shahid Afridi key responsibility for upcoming T20 World Cup 2024

Virat Kohli's best friend speaks on becoming new Indian head coach, says 'would love to work with some players'

'Should change our mindset': Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto's strong message to Bangladesh after embarrassing series loss against USA

Bangladesh lose T20I series to USA ahead of T20 World Cup 2024, fail to chase down 145 after losing 5 wickets for 22 runs