Dinesh Karthik returns to RCB in new role, named batting coach and mentor

Royal Challengers Bengaluru have announced veteran wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik as their batting coach and mentor for the men's team. Karthik, who announced his retirement after IPL 2024, will return to the RCB dugout, but this time in a different capacity. Dinesh Karthik played a pivotal role in RCB's journey to the playoffs in IPL 2024.(AP)

Karthik became a fan favourite in RCB on his second stint with the franchise when he returned to IPL 2022. He donned the finisher's role with perfection and smashed 796 runs in his last three seasons of the cash-rich league.

“Welcome our keeper in every sense, Dinesh Karthik, back into RCB in an all new avatar. DK will be the Batting coach and Mentor of RCB Men’s team!,” RCB made an official announcement on their social media.

The franchise urged its fans to shower love on the veteran wicketkeeper batter.

“You can take the man out of cricket but not cricket out of the man! Shower him with all the love, 12th Man Army!” RCB wrote on X.

Karthik represented the country in 180 games across three formats in which he scored 3463 runs with a lone Test hundred and 17 half-centuries. Karthik also inflicted 172 dismissals to his credit, most of them behind the stumps, with a few in the outfield. He last played for India in the 2022 T20 World Cup match against Bangladesh.

The veteran made a strong case for a comeback in the Indian team for the 2024 T20 World Cup, but the selectors went ahead with the young glovesmen Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson. Meanwhile, his retirement was on the cards after Royal Challengers Bengaluru's ouster from the IPL Eliminator, Karthik chose his 39th birthday to make his decision official.

The 2007 T20 WC-winning star has a rich experience playing in IPL, making 257 appearances and scoring 4,842 runs at an average of 26.32. Karthik started his IPL journey with Delhi Daredevils (now Capitals) and went on to represent Kolkata Knight Riders, Mumbai Indians and Kings XI Punjab apart from RCB.

On the appointment as Batting Coach and Batting Mentor, Dinesh Karthik said, “Coaching at a professional level is incredibly exciting for me and is something I'm truly passionate about as a new chapter in my life. Hopefully, the breadth of my experiences as a player can contribute to the development of the group and bring added value.

“I believe that cricket success hinges not only on technical proficiency but also on match intelligence and composure. I am eager to coach and mentor our batting group, helping them to not only refine their method but also to develop the keen match awareness needed to excel under pressure. It’s also great that I can continue my association with RCB as the franchise continues to move from strength to strength,” he added.

RCB enjoy a massive fanbase but yet to win an IPL title since the inception of the tournament. The franchise has tried and tested several combinations of captain and coach, but nothing has worked for them over the years. They came close to winning the title thrice but suffered defeats in the finals of 2008 to Deccan Chargers, 2011 against Chennai Super Kings and 2016 versus Sunrisers Hyderabad.

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