Dubai: Royal Challengers Bangalore’s star batter Dinesh Karthik has been reprimanded for breaching the TATA Indian Premier League’s (IPL) Code of Conduct during his team’s Eliminator match against Lucknow Super Giants at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Wednesday.
Karthik, who has been having a purple run during the IPL Season 15 with 324 runs at an average of 64.80, admitted to the Level 1 offence under Article 2.3 of the IPL Code of Conduct for audible obscenity during a match and accepted the sanction.
Article 2.3
Article 2.3 covers the use of words commonly known and understood to be offensive, obscene and/or profane (in any language) and which can be heard by the spectators and/or the viewing public whether by way of the stump-microphone or otherwise. This conduct may include, for example, swearing in frustration at one’s own play or fortune.
Dinesh Karthik, who is now one of the most feared batters in the death overs, has become the rock of Bangalore, replacing South African stalwart AB de Villiers.
Rock of RCB
Karthik’s form has been one of the main reasons for the franchise reaching the play-offs, which in turn has helped the 36-year-old to regain his spot in the Indian Twenty20 team.
“DK (Dinesh Karthik) has probably been that rock. When you miss a guy like AB (de Villiers), we talked about how you are going to replace AB and now we are not doing that, but he (Karthik) has been exceptional in terms of finishing,” said Mike Hesson, RCB’s director of cricket operations on RCB Bold diaries.
Karthik and Rajat Patidar put on a unbroken 92-run partnership, 84 coming off the last five overs, in that guided Royal Challengers to a 14-run win over Lucknow in the Eliminator. Karthik remained unbeaten on 37 while Patidar smashed 112 not out off 54 balls to guide Bangalore to 207 for 4 in 20 overs.
Unsung hero
The last few games played by RCB witnessed their batters putting up a fine show while their much-talked about top order sprang back to life. With the team keeping its hopes alive of making it to the final, Hesson felt that a collaborative effort from Virat Kohli, skipper Faf du Plessis and Glenn Maxwell helped the side tame their rivals. He added that Karthik had been ably supported by Shahbaz Ahmed and Mahipal Lomror, while Patidar had also been in good touch in the handful of games that he has played.
“I believe Rajat Patidar is an unsung hero. He came in as a replacement; he played some really important innings for us. He is a guy, whom we would like to see, how he develops in the next couple of years.
“Mahipal has also been impressive. He came in a little bit late. He had an initial injury and then came back. He had to wait. By this time, he has come back and added some spark,” Hesson said about RCB’s explosive middle-order all-rounder.
“Maxi (Maxwell) has got better and better as the tournament progressed,” added Hesson.
Overall, he also backed du Plessis’ captaincy, saying that the South African has the “capability of bringing people along for the ride”.
— With inputs from agencies
