‘Karthik could not prove himself even once in 8 matches’: Irfan’s explosive comment | Cricket
Royal Challengers Bangalore (rcb) has blown hot and cold so far IPL 2023, They won four out of eight matches this season and finished sixth in the points table. Former India cricketer Irfan Pathan said that it was down to RCB’s middle order that cost them those four defeats. While Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis and Glenn Maxwell have been in top-class form this season, the middle order has struggled in almost all the matches. Pathan then launched a scathing attack on Dinesh Karthik, referring to his performances in all eight games before calling for his removal.
In IPL 2023, RCB’s middle order (numbers 4 to 7) has managed only 404 runs in eight matches, the least among all 10 franchises. They average only 20.20 together, which is second-worst with a four almost every six balls after Delhi Capitals (16.6), who are again the lowest.
An improved Karthik was a revelation last year where he surprised the legends, cricket experts and even the India selectors with his finishing ability. His ability saw him make a comeback into the Indian team after being well out for a place in any format. Later he was also included in the T20 World Cup squad. However, in 2023, Karthik has struggled a lot. Out of those 404 runs, 83 runs have been scored by Karthik in seven innings. His average of 13.83 is the second worst this season among all middle-order batsmen who have faced at least 50 balls.
Speaking to Star Sports, Irfan didn’t hold back in his attack on Karthik, asking RCB to replace him in the XI as the team prepares for the match against Lucknow Super Giants at the Ekana Stadium.
Pathan said, “RCB will have to find a solution that if KGF (Kohli, Glenn, Faf) does not work then who will lead the team in difficult situations. Whether it is Dinesh Karthik or Mahipal Lomror.” “RCB’s middle order looks very weak. Karthik has not proved even once in the last 8 matches that the team can rely on him for big scores or while chasing. RCB management needs to address this flaw in their batting Gotta fix it.”
