RCB assistant coach opens up about role of Abhishek Nayar in Dinesh Karthik's transformation
Mar 28, 2024
New Delhi [India], March 28 : Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) assistant coach Malolan Rangarajan opened up about the role of Abhishek Nayar in transforming Dinesh Karthik as a player.
The veteran wicketkeeper batter once again played an influential knock against the Punjab Kings, which helped RCB clinch their maiden IPL 2024 win with a 4-wicket victory.
Karthik's late surge kept the scoreboard ticking and eventually got the team across the finish line. However, the 38-year-old's transformation came after a lot of hardwork.
In the RCB's latest video on Bold Diaries, Rangarajan shed light on the very first block of difference created by DK.
"He was one of the first ones, maybe in India or maybe even in Chennai, to start hiring their own coaches, a little bit like tennis. He had already done it, he had already gone through a couple of coaches. He was at that point in his career where he needed somebody to mentor him, like a holistic person who would take care of him and fortunately he found that person in Abhishek Nayar," Rangarajan said.
"People like us, (Shanker) Basu, myself, Abhinav (Mukund), we're too close to him. So he needed someone from a different point of view who could come and push him in a very very different direction which at that point was required for DK because he had made a number of comebacks and tried a hell lot of things to make a comeback. He needed somebody else with a different wand. Fortunately for him it has been Nayar and he stuck with Nayar" he added.
Karhtik played an unbeaten knock of 28 runs from just 10 balls which was laced with three fours and two sixes in his innings.
With his knock, he established himself as one of the most deadly strikers in the final overs. The Chennai-born player became the second-highest run-getter in the death overs (17-20 overs). He has scored 372 runs at a strike rate of 203.27 and is just behind Rajasthan Royals (RR) batter Shimron Hetmyer who has scored 383 runs at a strike rate of 197.42.
Karthik will be in action on Friday against the Kolkata Knight Riders.
