24 March,2024 11:30 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Dinesh Karthik. Pic/PTI
Dinesh Karthik helped Royal Challengers Bengaluru to accumulate crucial runs in the IPL 2024 opener against Chennai Super Kings. The veteran wicketkeeper-batsman is pleased to get some in the match despite getting very limited time for the preparations due to his commentary commitments.
Since the last IPL, the only competitive cricket Karthik played was in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. He was on air in the recently concluded India-England Test series and admitted finding training time in between his commentary duties was tough.
In IPL 2024, Karthik is making his last IPL appearance. He played a knock of 38 runs in 26 balls which helped the side reach 173 runs for six wickets against CSK. By his own admission, he was rusty in the middle.
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"It's been extremely challenging, doing a bit of commentary and to keep practising cricket between Test matches and in between the time that I get, it's been a lot of hard work.
"So, I am happy that Game 1 has gone positively for me, and it feels good to score some runs," Karthik told reporters after the game. The 38-year-old is hoping that play-offs happen at his home ground here and he can return to Chepauk to play his last IPL game.
"Time will tell, I guess. I genuinely wish it's not because the last couple of (playoff) games will be here, so I could be back for that, which could then be my last (here)," he said when asked if it could be last game in Chennai.
Defending champions CSK was able to chase down 174 comfortably on a good batting track. CSK pacer Mustafizur Rahman produced his best IPL figures of 4-29 to make the difference. Karthik was all praise for the left-arm pacer from Bangladesh.
"He bowled brilliantly. He showed his skills in all the three spells," he reckoned. "He is bowling a lot quicker than he normally does and hits the right lengths. The slower balls came out well. It was a very good pitch. Not the usual slow Chepauk turner that we are visualising in our mind.
"The ball skid on a lot more, and it was good for batting, and he (Rahman) bowled well. What makes it tough is that he can bowl at 138/139 (kmph), and then he has a slower one, which is very deceptive. And he bowls it at 121/125 (km/h), which makes it hard to line him up.
"People can see how much talent Anuj has"
For Bengaluru, Anuj Rawat was the top scorer. He scored 48 runs and made a 95-run stand with Karthik. "I couldn't be happier for him. He has been a part of this team for two years, and people can see how much talent he has. The ball flies off his bat. He has got great bat speed and is a strong boy. He works hard at the nets," said Karthik.
"The last two years haven't exactly panned out. Last year, he showed towards the end how good he is, but today (Friday), he showed what skills he has got. "I just wish he keeps continuing this form because he is a key player for us. A left-arm hander through the middle and hits the long ball with a lot of power. So, it's great to see him do so well," he added.
(With PTI Inputs)
