"'Ben Stokes' Came Out Of Virat Kohli's Mouth": Dinesh Karthik On Getting Send-off, Reveals India Star's Sledging

“‘Ben Stokes’ Came Out Of Virat Kohli’s Mouth”: Dinesh Karthik On Getting Send-off, Reveals India Star’s Sledging

Dinesh Karthik opened up on the times he played against Virat Kohli in IPL.© BCCI/IPL For Dinesh Karthik, the IPL 2024 was extra special. He was not only part of special campaign that saw Royal Challengers Bengaluru win six matches on the trot to make an improbable dash into the playoffs, but the tournament was also his last as a player. Last few season, Karthik flourished in the RCB ranks, even earning a T20 WC call-up. HIs terrific performance as a finisher and as a wicketkeeper was saluted by all after he hung his boots.  Recently, he opened up on the banter he had with Indian cricket teammates Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya.  “You’ll have had your share of banter received and dished out on the field. What is one that has stuck?” Dinesh Karthik was asked by Cricbuzz. “Every time I played against RCB and Virat Kohli caught my catch, ‘Ben Stokes’ came out of his mouth for sure. But that was a send-off. Hardik Pandya sledged me saying ‘Abhi leg-spinner aaya, iska thank you hi hai’ [Now a leg spinner will come, and it is Thank You time] Then I had to play a couple of shots, and then he was like ‘Theek hai, thoda improve hogaya lag raha hai’. [Looks like he’s improved a bit]. That was good,” Dinesh said. “He’s a good friend. He was also like ‘commentator banke bhi thoda kaam kar raha hai’. [Even after becoming a commentator, he’s working on his game] That was fun. Rohit Sharma was also taunting me this year… unnecessarily giving me hopes.” He was then asked about the ‘one compliment’ that stayed with him. “There’s been a lot of outpouring of love… One for my cricket – Virat Kohli saying that he’d love me being part of the [RCB] team which was a great compliment. Dhoni said: ‘I’ve really enjoyed your commentary, DK. Very, very good.’ That’s about as big a compliment as you can get from Dhoni I guess,” he said. Topics mentioned in this article

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Did MS Dhoni's 110m Six End Up Costing CSK A Spot In IPL Playoffs - Explained

Did MS Dhoni’s 110m Six End Up Costing CSK A Spot In IPL Playoffs – Explained

Dinesh Karthik did admit that RCB got a bit lucky after MS Dhoni hit the ball outside the stadium.© BCCI Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) scripted one of the finest comeback stories ever in the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Saturday, beating Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in a must-win game to qualify for the playoffs. The Faf du Plessis-led side were destined to finish at the bottom of the points table after losing seven of their first eight matches of the group phase. However, a run of six wins on the bounce sees them steal a playoffs spot from defending champions CSK. RCB had problems a plenty in the first half of the campaign but after six wins on trot, they head into the playoffs as the team to beat. On Saturday, Yash Dayal was the star of the show as he successfully defended 17 runs in the last over. Despite conceding a six off the very first ball, Dayal dismissed CSK icon MS Dhoni on the very next ball to switch the momentum back in RCB’s favour. He then conceded just one run off the next five balls, sparking massive celebrations inside the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. RCB star Dinesh Karthik did admit that his side got a bit lucky after Dhoni hit Dayal for a six. For the unversed, Dhoni launched the ball outside the stadium and since it wasn’t retrieveable, the umpires had to get a replacement ball, which was much dryer and easier to grip. “The best thing to happened today was Dhoni hitting the six outside the ground. We got a new ball which was much better to bowl with,” Karthik during his dressing room speech. With their win over CSK, RCB joined Kolkata Knight Riders, Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad in the playoffs. While it was ecstasy for RCB, the legion of fans of Dhoni sank into despair as it could potentially be the last time they witnessed their ‘Thala’ perform on a cricket field. RCB head into the playoffs as the most in-form team with five wins on the bounce. No other team has managed to stitch as many wins on the bounce this season. They will either face RR or SRH in the Eliminator on Wednesday. Topics mentioned in this article

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Virat Kohli's Epic Gesture For Dinesh Karthik On Being Awarded Orange Cap Is Viral. Watch

Virat Kohli’s Epic Gesture For Dinesh Karthik On Being Awarded Orange Cap Is Viral. Watch

Dinesh Karthik and Swapnil Singh came to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)’s rescue in their IPL 2024 clash against Gujarat Titans on Saturday. Chasing a below-par 148 after GT were bowled out for 147, RCB were cruising at 92/0 in 5.5 overs with Faf du Plessis and Virat Kohli putting on a show in the Powerplay. However, RCB suffered a mid-innings slump, losing six wickets in the space of 25 runs with Joshua Little and Noor Ahmad sharing five between them. While the seemed to be slipping away from RCB grip, unbeaten cameos from Karthik (21) and Swapnil (15) the side off to its third straight win of the season, and two on the bounce against GT after last weekend’s success in Ahmedabad. There was a party atmosphere in Bengaluru after the match as star batter and former RCB captain Kohli recalimed the Orange Cap from CSK skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad. Kohli, who hit a quickfire 42 on Saturday, now has 542 runs in 11 matches, with Gaikwad (509) in action for CSK against Punjab Kings on Sunday. Karthik presented the Orange Cap back to Kohli after the match, and the latter showed a respectful gesture to the former, bowing down to the former before both shared a hug. A video of the same has now gone viral on social media. Consistency is King, and King Kohli proves it once again whether its in health, fitness, or performance on the field! The King is back to being the Orange Cap Holder.#ViratKohli #RCBvGT #PlayBold pic.twitter.com/ACY9uhsXVA — Duroflex (@Duroflex_world) May 4, 2024 Coming back to the match, Du Plessis’ (64) departure triggered a collapse as Gujarat hit back with wickets from Joshua Little and Noor Ahmad to have the opposition in trouble at 117-6 when Kohli was dismissed. Will Jacks, Rajat Patidar, Glenn Maxwell and  Cameron Green all perished for cheap before Karthik and Swapnil made sure there was no more drama as they steered the team home in an unbeaten stand of 35. Earlier put into bat, Gujarat went three down for 19 inside six over before big-hitter Shahrukh Khan, who top-scored with 37, stood strong in a 61-run stand with David Miller, who hit 30 off 20 balls. The win allowed allowed RCB to climb out of the bottom of the table. They are currently seventh in the points table with three games to go. Left-handed Rahul Tewatia hit a 21-ball 35 and put on another key stand with Rashid Khan to add respect to the total. (With AFP Inputs) Topics mentioned in this article

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