Dinesh Karthik keeps practicing match situations, scenarios to prepare for thrillers like the one he played against the Rajasthan Royals on Tuesday. Chasing 170 runs, the Royal Challengers Bangalore were 87/5 when DK walked in. He stitched a  a 67-run partnership with Shahbaz Ahmed (45 off 26 balls) to take the team home. 

RCB refeated Sanju Samson and co by four wickets at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

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Dinesh Karthik has scored 90 runs in three games in IPL 2022 so far at a whopping strike rate of 204. 54. Against the Royals, the former Kolkata Knight Riders skipper played a 44-run hand in 23 balls with the help of seven boundaries and one six. He soaked the pressure and made sure that Faf du Plessis got his second win as RCB skipper. 

In Bangalore’s game against KKR, Karthik had made 14 runs in seven delivers. He had scored 32 off 14 deliveries in the first game. To add more value to his contribution to the side, DK is yet to be dismissed this season. 

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It was in 2006 that a young Dinesh Karthik won ‘Player of the Match’ award for his cheeky 30-odd in India’s first ever T20 International. Sixteen years hence, Karthik, nearing 37, with 330 shortest format matches under his belt, is showing signs of being another eternal comeback man of Indian cricket, trying to do justice to the phenomenal talent that he is blessed with.

He has presented a strong bid for his selection in India’s squad for the 2022 T20 World Cup to be held in Australia

“I made a conscious effort to do justice to myself. Felt I could have done better in the last few years,” Karthik said after being named the player of the match. 

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He hasn’t been selected for India after their heartbreaking semi-final loss against New Zealand in the 2019 ODI World Cup.

“The way I have trained has been different. I was telling myself I am not done yet. I have a goal and I want to achieve something,” he added. 

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When RCB needed 12 runs per over, Dinesh Karthik smashed Ravi Ashwin for a boundary behind square, followed by six over long-on and a rocket-like-shot over mid-off and finally added insult to injury with a reverse sweep.

“We needed 12 runs an over, so you need to figure out what to do. Stay calm, know your game and who you can take on.”