Former Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh said that Royal Challengers Bangalore’s wicketkeeper batter Dinesh Karthik is one of the best finishers during the ongoing season of the Indian Premier League and he would select him in the squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup in Australia if given a chance of being a selector.
While speaking on Star Sports, Singh said, “Dinesh Karthik has been outstanding for RCB. He is very good at leg side shots than his off sides, excellent at taking singles but I think, overall he understands his game very well. Whenever he is left with last chances, he makes sure that he finishes the game. For me, if anyone has played the best role of a finisher in this entire IPL then it is none other than Dinesh Kartik. If I were a selector I would have given him a ticket to Australia for World Cup T20 and let him play for India as wicketkeeper and batsman because he deserves that.”
“And if ever Indian Cricket team needs the best finisher then it should be Dinesh Karthik and Hardik Pandya as they make a very powerful side. Anyway, I have gone deep into the future but yeah once again, I must say Dinesh Karthik has been incredible this season and I hope he gets a chance to bat a little early. 15 to 16 overs are enough for him to finish the game,” he added. When asked about Dinesh Karthik’s effect on RCB this season coach Sanjay Bangar stated how well he is doing for RCB and also helping out the younger players to get the best out of them.
Sanjay Bangar also said on Star Sports “Dinesh Karthik has been pretty good for us, we chose him for a particular role because we knew that since after AB de Villiers left that is gonna be a big hole to fill. With his balance and skill set, he has actually got the best out of our younger batsmen who bat at the middle order with him, so even at times he has batted with Mahipal Lomror or at times with Shahbaz or with couple other batsmen and he is used all his experience not only taking that experience into his game but also how he has got the young batsmen to play around him is indeed a credit to his contribution to the team.” Karthik has been in great form for RCB during this IPL season. He has finished many games for his side, forming many valuable partnerships with middle-order batters and accelerating the run-scoring at the end. In 12 innings, he has scored 274 runs at an average of 68.50, having stayed unbeaten 8 times. His individual best score this season is 66*. He has scored one-half century for his side this season.
Royal Challengers Bangalore will take on Punjab Kings on Friday.
