Virat Kohli told me I'll fit perfectly: Karthik opens up about RCB coaching role
Dinesh Karthik said Virat Kohli's backing helped him accept Royal Challengers Bengaluru's batting coach and mentor role after retirement. The move strengthened RCB's support staff and preceded their IPL title.
Former Indian wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik has credited Virat Kohli as a key reason for taking up the role of batting coach and mentor at Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), a year after announcing his retirement from all formats of international cricket. Karthik revealed how RCB’s Director of Cricket, Mo Bobat, first planted the idea of him joining the franchise as part of the support staff during IPL 2024, and how a final push from Kohli helped seal the decision.
The 40-year-old eventually became a crucial part of the setup as RCB lifted their maiden IPL title last year, defeating Punjab Kings in the final in Ahmedabad.
“It all began when, as I was finishing up in 2024, Mo asked me if I would be 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 had a mountain to climb. To be fair, nobody gave us a chance,” Karthik said on the RCB podcast.
He explained that the decision wasn’t easy, as he discussed it at length with his wife, Mo Bobat, and Malolan Rangarajan, RCB’s Head of Scouting and Fielding Coach, to better understand the opportunity.
“Mo was very confident I would be useful to the team. I trust him a lot; I’ve grown very fond of him and share a very good equation with him. He didn’t try to convince me, but instead showed me exactly what the role would look like and told me it was a good place to be, considering where I was in my career. I completely trusted him, and I took the plunge,” he added.
Karthik further revealed that Kohli encouraged him to seriously consider the offer, suggesting it would be a good fit. He also mentioned that head coach Andy Flower was keen to have him on board.
“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,’” Karthik continued. “When the offer officially came at the end of the season, after I hung up my boots, Mo called to say they were keen. He also mentioned that Andy was very happy and that they felt having a couple of Indian coaches would help.”
In the end, Kohli’s words, “You should do it. You would probably fit in quite nicely”, proved to be the final push Karthik needed before making his decision.
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