Veteran Indian wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik has been in the form of his life and the Wankhede crowd in Mumbai witnessed another glimpse of it on Sunday during the 2022 IPL match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Sunrisers Hyderabad. Facing just eight balls in the innings, Karthik smashed 30 runs to help RCB finish with 192 for three. However, it was Virat Kohli's gesture towards Karthik after the fiery knock that went viral all over social media. (Follow IPL 2022 full coverage)
Karthik walked in after Glenn Maxwell's dismissal in the second ball of the 18th over. Some tight bowling from SRH left RCB at 159 for three at that stage. Karthik managed to be on strike for eight of the remaining 10 balls and he smashed 4 sixes and a boundary to score an unbeaten 30 that propelled RCB to 192 for three.
As Karthik made his way back to the dressing room after the blazing cameo, Kohli bowed down to hail the batter's slog-over hitting against Hyderabad.
RCB skipper Faf du Plessis later revealed that he was contemplating retiring out earlier in the innings in a bid to bring in Karthik and maximise the returns.
{{/usCountry}}RCB skipper Faf du Plessis later revealed that he was contemplating retiring out earlier in the innings in a bid to bring in Karthik and maximise the returns.
{{/usCountry}}"If he [Karthik] keeps hitting sixes like that, everyone always wants to get him in and bat for as long as possible. But he's just so clear. I mean, to be honest with you, I was actually trying to get out because I was so tired to get DK in and we were even contemplating, you know, myself retiring," du Plessis said in the post-match presentation.
"Yeah, DK is in such good form. But it was a tricky wicket. It wasn't one of those wickets where you could just come in - I think it was not evident with DK but with other guys, the first two balls, they struggled. And then lucky for us, I think there was a dropped catch off DK in that one over and then he took them apart."