Dinesh Karthik’s IPL Journey: From Assumptions to Realities, and the Challenges of RCB Fan Expectations
Dinesh Karthik shared a story from the very first IPL auction where he thought he’d be chosen by CSK because he’s from Chennai. Despite being a regular in IPL since the beginning, he’s never played for CSK. He’s been part of six different teams in IPL, currently playing for RCB.
During a chat with R Ashwin on Kutti Stories with Ash, Karthik admitted he made a ‘silly assumption’ assuming Chennai would pick him in the first IPL auction. “I just assumed Chennai would pick me because I’m from Chennai. It was a silly thought,” said Karthik. He assumed this because V. B. Chandrasekhar, who had a soft spot for him, was associated with CSK at the time.
“He always favored me. So I thought, since Chandrasekhar is there, he’ll pick me,” said Karthik.
During the auction, Karthik, who was with the Indian team in Melbourne, hoped to see his name with CSK. However, CSK went for MS Dhoni instead, making him realize he wouldn’t be picked.
“When Dhoni got picked for CSK, I knew I wouldn’t be part of the team. Since we were both in the Indian team, I knew they wouldn’t pick us both,” said Karthik.
Karthik, expressing his struggles with RCB fans, said, “RCB fans will quietly criticize me in messages every day and they’ll be tough on me if I don’t perform well for the team. It’s not just me; it affects my family and everyone close to me.” Karthik was almost picked by CSK in the IPL 2022 auction but ended up with RCB after a bidding war between CSK and RCB.
19:30 IST
