BENGALURU: From being one of Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s most reliable finishers to being a key figure in the backroom setup of the defending IPL champions, Dinesh Karthik Have witnessed the evolution of the franchise from close quarters.In a free-wheeling interview with TOI, the 40-year-old RCB mentor and batting coach spoke about the champions’ mentality within the squad, the emergence of a captain. Rajat Patidar As a calm leader, and coaching international stars. Quotes:The mentality of a team defending a titleAt the beginning, each player was given a structure that explained what they should do. In terms of results, ups and downs were bound to happen, so the key was to make sure we did the things we were great at and the things we could be better at. We’re constantly focusing on it and getting better at it, and that’s a good way to look at this tournament. It’s a long tournament, and it’s important to stay fresh.Patidar’s evolution as a captainIt was heartening to see him remain the same person: cool, calm and composed on and off the field. As a leader, he absorbed the pressure well without showing it, which is commendable.He is still the same person he was before he became captain, which says a lot about him. I have played with him and have a good relationship. It gives me great pride to see him succeed both as a batsman and as a captain.Coming of Age Devdat PadikalHe was always an exceptional batsman for Karnataka and across all formats. But in the IPL, I think he wanted to change some areas of his game, which he addressed immediately, and we were quite happy to help as a group and you could see the results on the field, the confidence and the way he batted. It’s always a good sign when a young guy like him understands what it takes to take his game to the next level and asks for suggestions and feedback, but he does it his way. He is a strong man. I believe he’s a tremendous talent and it’s great to see that talent turn into something very special for the team.On the difference in coaching Indian and international playersYou have to adapt differently with international players. For example, Tim David is very different from Romario Shepherd, so you need to understand both and where they are coming from. They are very independent people, so you need to see what works for them, and sometimes less can be more, and I try and say very little if I don’t need to talk too much. I’ve learned a lot from Andy (Flower) and Mo (Bobat) about how they handle different players and their character traits. He is very different from the players I have with the Indian players, but one stands in respect.Being considered one of Phil Salt’s best coachesPhil has obviously traveled the world and worked with many coaches. It was nice to see him admit that what I said helped him. My role was to understand what Phil was doing and help him raise his game. He was open to discussing areas for improvement, which allowed me to provide useful feedback. Such open relations with foreign players are always beneficial. Your conversation with the players on the bench. Being in the top 11 or 12 of the IPL does not define you as a player. It’s about team combinations; If you’re not in, it doesn’t make you less valuable. Avoid overthinking the status of your choice.On preparing the finishersThe finisher role is a great role. It’s a tough one because you don’t face as many deliveries as top-order batsmen. So, you have to understand what it means to do well and accept some ways you can get out. It is very important to be a good finisher because you take a lot of risk for most of the innings you play. So you need to be very aware of what success means, being a finisher and how sometimes failures can be quite misleading. The challenge is to understand and treat both equally. Also, the way you practice and prepare for a game is extremely important.
