When the England cricket team was under pressure because of their coaching team led by Brendon McCullum, Phil Salt showered praises on the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batting coach and mentor Dinesh Karthik.
The England international opener praised Dinesh Karthik’s intelligence as a coach. Without any hesitation, Phil Salt stated that Karthik is amongst the best coaches he has worked with.
Dinesh Karthik discloses how he used to manage the players
Weeks after Salt’s reaction, Dinesh Karthik expresses his thought one the batter’s opinion. While talking with the Times of India (TOI), the former Indian keeper-batter expressed that open relationships between a cricketer and coach always help both of the parties to improve themselves. If a player and a coach get to improve their respective area, then it will be ultimately helpful for the team. The RCB coach mentions that Salt is among the players who are always open to talking to enhance his game, which makes Karthik’s work easier.
“Phil has obviously travelled the world and has worked with many coaches. It was nice to see him acknowledge that something I said helped him. My role was to understand what Phil was doing and help him enhance his game. He was open to discussing areas for improvement, which empowered me to provide useful feedback,” Dinesh Karthik said.
Karthik’s comments on Phil Salt come ahead of the IPL 2026 final, where RCB will face either the Rajasthan Royals or the Gujarat Titans. Phil Salt has missed multiple games during the group stage of the match because of an injury. He went back to England for treatment and then joined the team again ahead of the play-offs. It is unclear whether he will play in the Final on May 31.
Open relationships with foreign players are always rewarding: Karthik
Dinesh Karthik further mentions that without a proper team combination, it would be hard for any team to gain success in the league. More than individual performances, it is necessary to bring good results through team games. The former cricketers' advice is to stop overthinking about selection status.
“Such open relationships with foreign players are always rewarding. The conversations you have with players on the bench. Being in the IPL's top 11 or 12 doesn’t define you as a player. It's about team combinations; if you’re not in, it doesn’t diminish your value. Avoid overthinking your selection status,” the RCB coach said.
What did Phil Salt say about Dinesh Karthik?
In the first week of April, the franchise shared an official video where Phil Salt made huge statements about the coach. The experienced batter discussed some of the appreciable aspects of coach Dinesh Karthik.
“This is the best bit of coaching I’ve had in a long time. I appreciate that you care, DK. There is no sarcasm in this,” said Phil Salt, praising Karthik.
“DK, the mastermind, is very detailed, very good. Getting all the information from Freddie (Wilde) and the coaching staff and putting it into something very easy to take on to the pitch, that’s probably his biggest strength,” Salt added.
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