The graph has been upwards – Dinesh Karthik on how Royal Challengers have braved mental odds
The dream of becoming a cricketer is ever-present, especially when you are in India. However, the struggles of being a professional cricketer are manifold. Those who go through it all must sacrifice a lot more than meets the eye. Talking on Big Basket presents RCB Podcast, Dinesh Karthik opened up on the travails of being a professional cricketer while heaping praise on how the Royal Challengers are carrying forth the weight of the jersey despite the overwhelming challenges.
Shedding light on the mental aspect of the game, Dinesh Karthik said, “The sport can be hard, you know, the gruelling schedules, the fact that mentally you're tested, you go through ups and downs. You could be great one game, you could, you know, have a couple of failures and you feel completely different about yourself as a player, and in general, your self-esteem as well.”
Acknowledging the effort put by the RCB players, DK added, “So credit to these boys, the graph has been upwards in their own way. Like Devdutt has scored just under 2,000 runs, if not more, in this domestic season, which is excellent. And I like to, I'm very happy seeing where he is going. Jitesh Sharma, on the other hand, he's probably had the toughest years as a player, you know, soon after IPL, he's picked in the Indian team, and he was just constantly doing whatever he could to be part of the team towards the end because of a certain combination, didn't make it to the World Cup. Then the loss of a bit of family, and that obviously takes a completely different toll on you mentally. And then there's so much that has happened in life, but he's grown as a person.”
Adding further, “And they're very different to what they were when I saw them last year. Rajat, on the other hand, is obviously a completely different personality type. And he is obviously just gone through things quietly, but he is an exceptional example of what it means to be humble in your approach in life and still succeed in such a strong manner. When he walked into Chinnaswamy wearing his RCB jersey, he was a different beast altogether. And he just comes, does a job quietly, a leader by absolutely by example, does what it takes for the team to do well. Very approachable for a lot of the young boys. He sits very simple and calm in a very hostile environment, but goes about it in a very professional way. And he's had a kid as well, so his life has changed. So a lot of good things happening.”
Highlighting the difference from the last season, DK stated, “But all three boys that you mentioned, and a lot of the other boys as well, have been different this year than what they have been last year. And for the good. And like life teaches you a lot of things. In one year, they've seen a lot, the high of an RCB victory, the lows of certain phases in their domestic career. But again, coming back and knowing what it takes to do well in tournaments like the IPL.”
