IPL 2022: Dinesh Karthik has done enough to walk away with the trophy

When the wrangling finally ends and the champion emerges in any IPL tournament, it is always the side with the most consistent deliverers that likely will make the cut and walk away with the trophy. Sheer consistency has no real rivals and yes, one match can suddenly go against you at the critical stage of any tournament, likely the side that has made the least mistakes and delivered on a regular basis will finally win. If sheer consistency and the ability to deliver are any criteria, there are few who can match Dinesh Karthik and what he has done for Royal Challengers Bangalore in IPL 2022. [caption id=“attachment_10522161” align=“alignleft” width=“640”]  File photo of Dinesh Karthik. Sportzpics[/caption] Dinesh Karthik is not even among the top 10 batsmen, or even the top 20 when it comes to scoring runs in IPL 2022. But what he has is the killer strike rate of 191.33 and an average of 57.40, that too largely coming way down the order. This is not the first time he has done it. His exploits in India colours are folklore. What we are discussing here however is his contribution to RCB at critical stages, making for enough wins for them to make it to the Eliminator, and now, all doors are open for the Bengaluru franchise. Karthik didn’t have a happy outing with Kolkata Knight Riders in the past and the constant chopping and changing of the side, and even the captains being replaced midway through the tournament didn’t do Karthik any favours at all. So, when IPL 2022 came and Karthik found himself in the RCB stable, eyebrows were raised, for sure. Even after his quite constant performances across the board most of the time, it was evident that the KKR scheme of things wasn’t sitting well with the Tamil Nadu batter and his display, along with the side’s, was just not up to the mark. But in came IPL 2022 and Karthik, used as a finisher, did finish, and boy, how he finished. Yes, Karthik had precious little to do with the bat in the match against Gujarat Titans that eventually pushed RCB into the elimination round, but he has come good for them at times when things looked well and truly down. Starting with 32 not out off 14 balls in a losing cause against Punjab Kings, Karthik improved in leaps and bounds. He essayed the authentic shots with as much aplomb as the unorthodox and his six-hitting mojo seems to have been discovered in no uncertain terms. 44 not out off 23 deliveries against Rajasthan Royals; an incredible 30 not out off just eight balls against Sunrisers Hyderabad with four sixes and a four – the list is amazing. He did fail, as did RCB, on several occasions, but there is no doubt whatsoever that whatever his failures were, the winning quotient, or rather, the ability to make wins out of near-impossible situations have become Karthik’s forte. So now, the Eliminator beckons on 25 May, with a stung Lucknow Super Giants side – they missed out on the Qualifier 1 slot almost from the last match – will be waiting, hoping to rediscover that winning touch which made them one of the favourites well before IPL 2022 even reached the midway stage. They have quite a bowling attack and while Faf du Plessis, Virat Kohli and Glenn Maxwell are all promising to turn up on that critical day, it could well be decided by how the last few overs are played in either inning. Once again, the onus may fall on Dinesh Karthik, a low-key, quiet person off the pitch and an absolute demon on it. It looks like Royal Challenger Bangalore’s time is here. They have been denied for way too long and it is sometimes inconceivable that they could miss out on this many attempts to win the IPL title. So, now that they have scrambled and found a toehold on the last footboard of a runaway train, they could well be the engine that drives it to glory. When that glory comes – we say when since it becomes difficult to imagine that it wouldn’t some time – one man, this quiet, almost diffident wicketkeeper could be the masterstroke for RCB. If he hits it like the way he has been, Karthik could well help engrave his team’s name on the title for the first time. Read all the Latest News **,** Trending News **,** Cricket News **,** IPL Live Score , IPL 2022 schedule , IPL 2022 Points table and Entertainment News . Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.