"I wear a normal cricket helmet, it's differently shaped" - RCB's Dinesh Karthik on his unconventional helmet
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) wicket-keeper Dinesh Karthik (DK) recently opened up on donning a different-looking helmet in a fans' Q&A session.
Ahead of the mouthwatering clash against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Monday, April 17, Karthik said:
"A lot of people have asked me this. I don't wear a different helmet, I wear a normal cricket helmet, it's differently shaped. It's called a Moonwalkr brand which has a very different shape to others but it's very protective and goes down deep into the neck so it gives more protection I feel personally than other helmets."
DK was also asked about his favorite knock in his international career. He picked the 75 in Sachin Tendulkar's double-century game against South Africa. Karthik said:
"For me personally, my favorite knock was the 75 I scored against South Africa where Sachin Tendulkar got his first hundred... double hundred rather... so that was a very memorable knock for me."
Karthik also had an interesting response to whether he sports tattoos. He said:
"That is the easiest question, as of today, I have no tattoos on me. I am planning to get one soon, haven't decided what it would be, it should be something special and very, something very symbolic to what you want to do in life or that has been a very important part of your life, so I am still thinking but I am pretty sure I'll get one in time."
Dinesh Karthik has endured a rough ride so far this IPL, scoring just ten runs at a dismal average of 3.33 in four matches. He also set a dubious record for the most ducks in IPL history (15) in RCB's last game against the Delhi Capitals (DC).
DK will look to rediscover his form from a year ago when he played the finisher's role for RCB and averaged 55 at a strike rate of 183.
"We've had some classic contests with them in the past" - CSK batting coach Michael Hussey ahead of RCB clash
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) batting coach Michael Hussey wants his players to enjoy their high-voltage clash against the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in Bengaluru on Monday, April 17.
Hussey represented CSK from 2008 to 2013 and again in 2015. Ahead of the much-awaited contest, Hussey had words of advice for his players. He said:
"We've had some classic contests with them in the past, whether in Chennai or here in Bangalore. So we are expecting nothing different. The main message to the players is to enjoy it because you don't get a chance to play in these sorts of environments too often.
"So really try and execute your skills as well as you can but really enjoy the experience because it's a fantastic occasion to be a part of."
It is worth mentioning that Mr. Cricket himself was part of nine CSK-RCB matches in his stellar IPL career. The elegant left-hander scored 271 runs at an average of 34 and a strike rate of 119 against RCB.
Both sides will enter the contest with two wins from four matches, which means a win could go a long way in propelling either side to a winning streak of note.