[Watch] "World Cup me selection ke liye push karna hai" - Rohit Sharma teases Dinesh Karthik in viral video from MI vs RCB IPL 2024 match
India captain Rohit Sharma teased Dinesh Karthik during the IPL 2024 game between Mumbai Indians (MI) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at Wankhede Stadium on Thursday, April 11.
The reaction came during the first innings of the game. Karthik scored an unbeaten 53 runs off 23 balls at a strike rate of 230.43, including four maximums and five boundaries.
During his knock, Karthik slammed 16 runs (four boundaries) off Akash Madhwal in the 16th over. He then slammed 17 runs off the last five deliveries against the same bowler to help RCB post a fighting total against the five-time IPL champions.
In a video, Rohit congratulated the 38-year-old for trying to earn a place in India's squad for the 2024 T20 World Cup. He walked from slips and said to Karthik:
"World Cup me selection ke liye push karna hai isko, Shabaash! Dimag me chal raha hai -2 iske World Cup. (Bravo! Pushing for the T20 World Cup, he has that in his mind)"
Watch the clip below:
For the unversed, Karthik has been exceptional with the bat for RCB this season. The right-hander scored an unbeaten 28 off 10 balls to guide his team past the finish line against Punjab Kings. His other valuable contributions as a finisher are 38*(26) and 20 (8) against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), respectively.
It's worth mentioning that Karthik had an exceptional 2022 season, where he amassed 330 runs in 16 matches at a strike rate of 183.33. The wicketkeeper-batter was picked in the India squad for the 2022 T20 World Cup. The Tamil Nadu-born cricketer, though, managed just 14 runs in three outings in the tournament.
Dinesh Karthik's masterclass helps RCB set a 197-run target vs MI in IPL 2024
Half-centuries from Faf du Plessis, Rajat Patidar, and Dinesh Karthik helped RCB post 196/8 against MI in their allotted 20 overs.
Skipper Faf led from the front, scoring 61 runs off 40 balls in an innings comprising three sixes and four boundaries. Patidar smashed 50 off 26 deliveries, smashing four maximums and three boundaries. The duo, together, shared an 82-stand to help RCB rescue from 23/2. However, Virat Kohli and Glenn Maxwell departed for 3 (9) and a four-ball duck, respectively.
Jasprit Bumrah emerged as the pick of MI bowlers, finishing with exceptional figures of 21/5. Gerald Coetzee, Akash Madhwal, and Shreyas Gopal shared one wicket apiece.
Follow the MI vs RCB IPL 2024 live score and updates here.