Rohit Sharma, renowned for his close bond with Dinesh Karthik, entertained the crowd with playful banter during the Mumbai Indians versus Royal Challengers Bangalore match, much to everyone’s delight.
The atmosphere at Wankhede Stadium was electric as Dinesh Karthik’s explosive innings propelled Royal Challengers Bangalore to a formidable total of 196 runs. At 38, the veteran cricketer showcased his batting prowess with an unbeaten 53 off just 23 balls, leaving the crowd captivated.
Karthik found himself at the non-striker’s end as Jasprit Bumrah wreaked havoc on the RCB middle-order. Bumrah twice found himself on the brink of a hat-trick – first in the 17th over by dismissing RCB captain Faf du Plessis and Mahipal Lomror in successive balls, and then again in the 19th over by removing Saurav Chauhan and Vijaykumar Vyshak. However, he couldn’t seal the deal on both occasions.
After witnessing the onslaught from the other end, Karthik finally got his chance to bat and promptly dispatched Bumrah for a six – only the second boundary Bumrah had conceded all day. It spoke volumes about the skill and determination of both Bumrah and Karthik.
Du Plessis (61) and Rajat Patidar (50) played crucial roles in steering RCB close to the 200-run mark. Karthik’s blistering knock towards the end of the innings, scoring 53 not out off 23 balls, was just what RCB needed.
In a match where other pacers struggled, Bumrah’s accuracy and variation proved to be decisive once again. Although Du Plessis and Patidar formed a strong partnership, adding 82 runs for the third wicket, Bumrah’s spell after the halfway mark seemed to break RCB’s resistance.
Karthik, who particularly targeted Akash Madhwal to collect 38 runs off his two overs, finished with an impressive five fours and four sixes.
Seeing Karthik’s masterclass in finishing, former MI captain Rohit Sharma couldn’t resist having some fun. The stump mic caught Rohit teasing Karthik with a playful T20 World Cup comment.
“Shabash DK! T20 World Cup mein selection ke liye push karna hai isko. Dimagh mein chal raha hai iske World Cup. (Well done DK! He is pushing for a spot in the T20 World Cup. His mind is occupied with the thought of the World Cup),” Rohit was caught saying on the stump mic to Karthik.
Karthik had his last stint representing India back in the 2022 T20 World Cup. Despite his strong performances in the initial four matches, he found himself on the bench for the final league game and the crucial semi-final against England. However, his standout display in the 2022 IPL season for RCB earned him a comeback into the national squad after a three-year hiatus.
Speculation is rife that the 2024 IPL season might mark the end of Karthik’s international cricket journey at the age of 38. In a recent podcast alongside Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton, Karthik strongly hinted at his readiness to bid adieu to the sport.
Coming to the match, Karthik’s batting heroics couldn’t salvage a win for RCB. Ishan Kishan’s explosive 69 off just 34 balls and Suryakumar Yadav’s blitzkrieg 52 off 19 balls, featuring four sixes and five fours, propelled Mumbai Indians to chase down RCB’s target of 197 runs in just 15.3 overs.
