'He sat me down and....': How Dinesh Karthik helped 'struggling' Virat Kohli in 2022

Written By Chankesh Rao | Updated: May 24, 2024, 07:50 PM IST

File Photo

Kohli showered praise on Karthik, referring to him as a 'wise man' who had made a significant impact on the team.

Virat Kohli has expressed his admiration for his Royal Challengers Bengaluru teammate, Dinesh Karthik, for his invaluable support during challenging times in the 2022 season of the Indian Premier League. Karthik's retirement was officially announced by RCB in a post on Friday afternoon.

RCB shared two videos on Friday. The first video featured RCB staff, players, and Kartik's wife, Dipika Pallikal Karthik, sharing anecdotes from his illustrious career. The second video showcased fans praising Kartik, with the franchise confirming his departure from the IPL.

In the initial video, Kohli showered praise on Karthik, referring to him as a 'wise man' who had made a significant impact on the team.

“Off the field, I have had some really nice and interesting conversations with Karthik. 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, Karthik 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 recalled.

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

In the 2024 IPL season, Karthik concluded with an impressive total of 326 runs across 15 games, boasting an average of 36.22. He achieved two half-centuries and a top score of 83.

Also read| Watch: MS Dhoni finally reveals the mystery behind his 'new team'