RCB Bold diaries: Dinesh Karthik speaks about being a leader in the group and a finisher

There was a sense of self-belief and relaxed aura about him, giving a thumbs up to the camera crew as Dinesh Karthik strode down the tunnel towards the team bus. Having finished 3 days of quarantine, one of the senior members in the squad and a part of the leadership group, Karthik had his first day out in the middle.

Being a senior member in the team comes with plenty of responsibilities. We’ve heard the phrase “leadership group” being thrown around, but what does it actually mean? What does being a leader in the group entail? “Help the other personnel in terms of experience, explain if they require something, be there for them. In the leadership group, there’s everybody who has played a lot of cricket. So, if you have some opinion, some views on the game, pass it on to Faf, and then it’s completely up to Faf how he uses that information and chooses to use whatever he feels is right,” Karthik explained.

The day of his first practice session was serendipitously the 4th year anniversary of the Nidahas Trophy final, where Dinesh Karthik took Team India home with 34 required off the final 2 overs. Ever since, Karthik has made a name for himself, batting as a finisher even at his previous franchise, KKR. “Obviously the last 2 years I’ve been trying to do that role as well. Here as well, the role is clear - try and achieve whatever we can at the back end of the game, and whatever is required for the team - either setting the target or helping to win the game,” said Karthik when asked about what his focus would be during training sessions.

Dinesh Karthik had a long hit out, batting against fast bowlers, spinners, and then had a few throwdowns where he relentlessly kept hitting the ball outside the park.