Dinesh Karthik's performance as 'cool' as MS Dhoni's, Faf du Plessis says

The Royal Challengers Bangalore successfully beat the Kolkata Knight Riders by 3 wickets at IPL 2022 on Wednesday at DY Patil Sports Academy, Navi Mumbai.

In this match, batsman Dinesh Karthik really became a hero for the Royal Challengers Bangalore team. Previously, both teams were chasing scores but RCB continued to lose the goal before Karthik stepped up and helped the team cross the finish line in the final over.

Faf du Plessis' men needed 17 runs in the last 2 overs when Dinesh Karthik and Harshal Patel teamed up to finish the match and win it. The team went on target in the final and Karthik managed to score 14 runs unbeaten from seven balls.

Karthik spent 23 minutes on the fold and seven deliveries. The 36-year-old showed incredible composure when playing under great pressure and managed to make the last two balls count.

Stunning on the field

With Karthik's outstanding performance on the field, skipper Faf du Plessis appreciated Karthik's game. He even stated that the RCB team's goalkeeper bat was as cool as MS Dhoni.

"We want to be more convincing. Just experience. Running is never a problem. We just need to have the goal in hand." said du Plessis while speaking at the post-match presentation.

At the same time, du Plessis also praised the opposition bowlers for the way they bowled. "Very happy. The game closed to a small margin was very important at the start. Small score, we just tried to be positive bowling but very good from their seamers. The ball swings a bit earlier but today there are stitches and bounces. Two-three days ago it was 200 and today it is 130, "he said.

The skipper also explained the decision to keep Dinesh Karthik in the stroke sequence against KKR.

“[We] want that experience towards the end – a calm and composed head. Running is never too far from the ball remaining. If we had kept the goal in hand that would have been key. Just to have that composure goes into the net. In the end, he might be as cool as MS Dhoni”, said du Plessis

First win

Previously, RCB lost against the Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the opening match of the season. At that time, Karthik was impressed from the first game by scoring an unbeaten 32 from 14 balls and helping his team pass 200.

However, the RCB team led by Faf du Plessis managed to bounce back from defeat in the opening game. They performed optimally in the next match and managed to record their first win in the 15th edition of the Indian Premier League.

"In an ideal world, we would like to win more convincingly but a win is still a win," said du Plessis. The 37-year-old insists he will rely on great players like Virat Kohli and Dinesh Karthik, who have a lot of experience and tons of achievements.

"I rely a lot on other people's help. I usually like a lot of information and try and see what the best option. The guys have been helping me well and they've been coming to me with their inputs. It's been great to have such guys in the side." said the South African international.

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