NEW DELHI: Dinesh Karthik continued his rich vein of form in IPL 2024 with a blistering knock of 53 runs off just 23 deliveries, but it wasn’t enough to secure victory for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) against Mumbai Indians (MI) on Thursday night.
Dinesh Karthik, the Finisher
Coming into bat at a crucial juncture with RCB at 138/4 in the 17th over, Karthik displayed his finishing prowess yet again. He took the bowling attack head-on, showcasing an array of innovative strokes. Four sixes and five boundaries peppered his innings, leaving many wondering if a different batting order could have better utilized his form.
RCB Inning
RCB’s innings started on a shaky note with the early dismissals of Virat Kohli and Glenn Maxwell. However, fifties from Faf du Plessis and Rajat Patidar helped build a platform. Karthik’s late flourish propelled RCB to a competitive total of 196/8.
MI Chase
Despite Karthik’s heroics, MI chased down the target with 4 overs to spare. Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav laid the foundation with a solid opening partnership, while Tilak Varma provided the finishing touches with a crucial knock lower down the order.
While the result didn’t go RCB’s way, Karthik’s knock was a bright spark for the team. His consistent finishing ability has been a saving grace for RCB in a season marred by inconsistency. With a crucial match against the Delhi Capitals coming up next, RCB will be hoping for another explosive innings from their in-form finisher.