IPL 2018: I'm Not Andre Russell, I Have to Find the DK Way of Doing Things - Dinesh Karthik

Dinesh Karthik-led Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are the favourites to clinch the fourth spot in the playoffs this season. In a recently detailed interaction with the KKR skipper, the Tamil Nadu batsman talked about a wide spectrum of issues.

For starters, Karthik mentioned that he wasn’t too surprised about Venky Mysore’s decision – to appoint him as the captain of the revamped KKR side.

With kind of team selected by the think-tank, Karthik felt he was the favourite for the leadership role in the franchise.

“From the team, they had picked, I wasn’t too surprised. Venky Mysore called me up and said that they were looking at me leading the team,” Dinesh Karthik told Espncricinfo.

The only senior pros remaining in the KKR team from the yesteryears were Piyush Chawla and Robin Uthappa, who are finding it difficult to make the cut into the Indian side.

Therefore, Karthik was a firm candidate for captaincy of KKR, after Gautam Gambhir called it quits from the Kolkata-based franchise, leaving a grand legacy.

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“I knew I would be a leader of some sort because I am a senior pro. Here were not many senior India players in the squad so I was expecting it,” added the Indian international.

AB de Villiers announced himself in the IPL this season with his explosive knock against Delhi Daredevils (DD). Having witnessed the knock, Karthik believed that he can only hope to play like him someday in his short life-span.

On AB de Villiers:

“I did watch that innings. I genuinely wish I play someday like him, but I guess it won’t happen in this new, short life of mine,” replied Karthik when asked about his views on de Villiers’ knock against Daredevils.

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De Villiers single-handedly pulled his team across the finishing line with an explosive 39-ball 90, which consisted of 10 fours and five towering maximums.

“AB de Villiers does what he does because he is confident of whatever he is doing, he has done it over and over and over again, so he knows exactly how to play, how to set a bowler up, what are the kind of shots he could play,” commented DK.

On not using muscle for success in the T20 format:

As a part of the interview, Karthik was asked about using his muscles while hitting his strokes.

Dinesh Karthik quipped that he has to find DK way of doing things because he doesn’t have the power game of Russell.

“I am not as powerful as [Andre] Russell. As I said, I have to find the DK way of doing things, which is run hard, find the gaps, run hard, beat the field,” affirmed the 32-year old.

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