IPL 2022 Auction: 3 major reasons why RCB must target Dinesh Karthik
The IPL 2022 auction is fast approaching and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) will be looking to strengthen their squad ahead of the tournament's 15th edition. They have already retained three top-quality players in Virat Kohli, Glenn Maxwell and Mohammed Siraj.
The team's management must put their thinking cap on as they have to find a player who could replace Kohli as their skipper. They also need to find a solution to their Achilles heel, i.e., death bowling. RCB management must also try to find squad balance and also the right mix of young as well as experienced players.
One of RCB's targets at the auction could be Dinesh Karthik. The wicketkeeper-batter has been exceptional at the domestic level, helping Tamil Nadu not just with the bat but also as a leader. He has inspired them to achieve new heights by winning several domestic titles even at the age of 36.
RCB shouldn't be a new environment for Karthik given the fact that he has represented the franchise during the 2015 IPL.
On that note, let's take a look at three reasons why RCB should sign Dinesh Karthik:
1) RCB needs an experienced Indian middle-order batter who can stabilize as well as play the finisher role to perfection
Apart from Kohli, there hasn't been an experienced Indian batter for RCB in the past several seasons. They did possess overseas batting powerhouses like AB de Villiers and Maxwell. But they haven't been able to find a domestic player who could perform consistently with the willow.
They have tried talented Indian batters like Sarfaraz Khan, Mandeep Singh, Manan Vohra, Gurkeerat Singh Mann, Sachin Baby and Akshdeep Nath.
Unfortunately, none of these players were able to cement their spots in the highly competitive RCB XI due to their inconsistency.
Now that a highly experienced player like Karthik will be up for grabs, the team's management must go for him given his incredible stats.
With 4046 IPL runs in 213 matches, the Chennai-born player will be a great asset for them in the middle-order. His presence will also reduce the pressure on Kohli. He has been waging a lone battle with the bat as the only experienced Indian batter.
Apart from strengthening the middle-order, Karthik is someone who can produce cameos by taking up the role of a finisher down the order. We have seen the 36-year-old doing it to perfection on several occasions, be it for his IPL franchise, Tamil Nadu or Team India.
He continues to prove that age is just a number for him and a perfect example of that are his 2021-22 Vijay Hazare Trophy stats. He amassed 376 runs, including a sensational century under pressure in the final against Himachal Pradesh.
2) Playing Dinesh Karthik, the proven Indian wicket-keeper batter will give RCB the opportunity to field an extra overseas player in the XI
Wicket-keeper batter Parthiv Patel re-joined Bangalore in 2018 after his one-year stint with Kohli's men back in 2014. He then became one of the mainstays in their XI during the 2018 and 2019 editions of the IPL.
Unfortunately, the Gujarat player warmed the bench during his last IPL season not featuring in a single game. He announced his retirement from all forms of cricket in December 2020.
Post Parthiv's retirement, RCB signed the uncapped Indian wicket-keeper KS Bharat during the 2021 IPL auction at his base price of ₹ 20 lakhs. Bharat did decently well in the limited opportunities he got last season.
In the upcoming auction though, RCB must go for a player of Karthik's caliber to fix that wicket-keeper batter slot.
Playing Karthik instead of an overseas wicket-keeper in the XI, would help them in fielding an extra overseas all-rounder or an overseas pacer.
Karthik is also a perfect bet behind the stumps given his skill, energy and phenomenal numbers.
3) The leadership quality he has and the immense cricketing knowledge that he would bring into the squad
RCB will be looking for the perfect candidate to replace Kohli as their skipper. Kohli will definitely be sharing his valuable knowledge despite just being a player and not a captain anymore. But the Red and Gold army are now in the absence of yet another senior player in AB de Villiers, who announced his retirement last year.
The franchise now needs someone with immense cricketing knowledge and a winning mindset to groom other talented young players in the squad.
There have been talks that the franchise might target either Shreyas Iyer or Manish Pandey for the captaincy role. But the dynamics of an IPL auction are totally unpredictable as other franchises too will be eyeing for those two exceptional players.
Even if they target another player for the captaincy role, it would be a massive boost if they could have Karthik. He has a calm demeanor, captaincy experience, leadership skills and the ability to spot, groom and guide young talents.
This would not only benefit the entire team but also ease the pressure on Kohli, the leader. This would enable him to play his natural game, especially during the franchise's transition phase.