Dinesh Karthik Reveals How Virat Kohli Infuenced Him To Join RCB As Batting Coach

Dinesh Karthik is a journeyman of sorts in the IPL. He started his journey with Delhi Daredevils and then went on to play for Kings XI Punjab, Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Gujarat Lions and Kolkata Knight Riders. The former Indian wicketkeeper-batter ended his IPL career with RCB in IPL 2024. His association with RCB, however, did not end there, as he joined the side as batting coach and mentor. Karthik has revealed that Virat Kohli played a big part in him taking up the role.

"It manifested when, as I was finishing in 2024, Mo asked me if I would be keen or interested. I was in the middle of the tournament, and it was a very different IPL season - we had lost six out of seven or seven out of eight games, I don't remember exactly - and we had a mountain to climb. To be fair, nobody gave us a chance," he said on a podcast.

"But I was so invested in that. We were having discussions while I was playing, and I was also speaking to my wife and Mo. Malolan Rangarajan was also giving me a picture of what it could be if I played. He never told me, 'Do this or do that.' He just showed me how it would look."

"Mo was very confident I would be useful to the team. I trust Mo a lot - I've grown very fond of him and have a very good equation with him. He didn't convince me, but he showed me exactly what it would look like and told me it's a good place to be, considering where I was in my career. I completely trusted him, and I dropped my hat," Karthik said on the RCB Podcast.

Karthik said his multiple interactions with Kohli helped him make the decision.

"In between all of this, towards the back end of the season, I spoke to Virat for a while, and he was very encouraging. He said, 'Think about it, I think it's good.' When the offer really came at the end of the season, after I hung up my boots, Mo called me and said they were keen. He also said Andy Flower was very happy and they were in a place where they felt a couple of Indian coaching staff would help as well," he said.

"I remember speaking to Virat again, and he said, 'You should do it. You would probably fit in quite nicely.' That's all I needed. When someone like Virat has respect for you, it matters, and it is a challenge," he added.

Karthik went on to say that RCB's 2025 IPL win ranked on a similar pedestal as the 2007 T20 World Cup triumph. Karthik was part of the Indian side that won the inaugural T20 World Cup.

"A few days ago, somebody asked me what the highlight of my cricketing career was. Obviously, the World Cup I was part of is right up there, but the RCB win was also right up there.

"An MI win as a player was a great one too, but the RCB win just pips it because of the fact that we waited 18 years for it. It's a long wait. We all know how passionate the fans are. You almost feel a sense of yearning and giving back when you finally win," he added

Featured Video Of The Day

Topics mentioned in this article

Dinesh Karthik Virat Kohli IPL 2026 Royal Challengers Bengaluru Cricket