Nasser Hussain, Michael Atherton say Dinesh Karthik will be ‘unbearable’ if RCB win IPL 2025: ‘He’ll be like John Terry'

Rajat Patidar-led Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) is chasing history as they look to win their maiden Indian Premier League (IPL) title. The franchise qualified for the summit clash of the 2025 season after beating Punjab Kings by eight wickets in Qualifier 1 in Mullanpur. The franchise will now face either Punjab Kings or Mumbai Indians at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Tuesday, June 3. Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton joked Dinesh Karthik would be unbearable if RCB end their trophy drought (PTI)

Ahead of the upcoming IPL 2025 final, former England captains Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton joked that Dinesh Karthik would be unbearable if RCB ended their trophy drought and won the T20 competition this year.

Ahead of the IPL 2025 season, Dinesh Karthik was named RCB's batting coach, and his inclusion in the support staff has paid real dividends. After the league stage match against Lucknow Super Giants, Jitesh Sharma revealed how Dinesh Karthik has helped him improve his game.

Michael Atherton also joined the banter, saying Dinesh Karthik will probably act like former Chelsea star John Terry after the 2012 Champions League final. He said just like Terry, Dinesh Karthik will also be at the front of the trophy celebrations.

“RCB have got through to the finals. If they win that, DK is going to be unbearable. One season as coach/mentor, and he’s won it,” Hussain said on the Sky Sports Podcast.

On the other hand, Atherton said, “He’s unbearable at the best of times, he’s going to be doubly unbearable. He’ll be like John Terry, at the front of the RCB trophy presentation, holding it there with Virat Kohli."

Dinesh Karthik reacts

Dinesh Karthik also reacted to the viral video clip, responding in six words to the banter between Atherton and Hussain about RCB's campaign in the IPL 2025 season so far.

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Dinesh Karthik wrote, “This podcast needs some young energy.”

Earlier, Dinesh Karthik had stated that it was a very special feeling for him to be a part of RCB. He stated winning the tournament with the franchise was the biggest reason behind him deciding to join the support staff.

"Being part of RCB is a very special feeling. Purely because of the brand of cricket that we play, but also the fans that we have. And most importantly, it's a journey that's been filled with lots of highs and lows," said Karthik in a video posted on the official handle of RCB.

"But the trophy hadn't reached the shores of Bangalore yet. If I could be part of that journey, why not? That was a big question in my mind. I know how close we were when I played. So here's another opportunity for me as a coach," he added.

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