Form is temporary, class is permanent! Heard that many times. But neither form nor class is something that concerns Kolkata Knight Riders Skipper, Dinesh Karthik. In VIVO IPL 2018, he has emerged as one of the most consistent players and is a vital cog in KKR’s push to finish in the top four.
Let’s take a look at some facts that makes him stand out not just as a skipper, but also as a ‘Real’ finisher in this IPL:
Less Dot Balls
Once your openers set up a platform, it is your lower middle-order’s job to keep the momentum going. DK, who has mostly come down to bat around/between 10-15 overs, assured of rotating the strike and thus became the batsmen with fewest number of dot balls (21%) in a successful chase, second only to AB de Villiers.
Boundaries per bowl
In T20s, sometimes to put up a good total on board or to chase a difficult total, it takes a lot more than just rotating the strike. DK knows the expectations every time he walks out at the middle and finds boundaries when the team needs it the most. So far he has one boundary in every five balls he has faced.
Most number of unbeaten runs
A finisher’s job is to help his team cross the finishing line. We have seen some great innings all the way by so many players in this IPL. But very few of them were able to finish it for them. Out of six successful chases DK has five unbeaten knocks. He has scored 212 runs in those chases, which shows how he has taken up a new responsibility.
No better feeling than playing a winning shot for your team or staying in the middle while your side sails through.
Skipper who strikes hard
DK for all these years is known for his ability to rotate strike. The most recent memory of vintage DK at the International level was during the Nidahas trophy final against Bangladesh. Well, he continued his form moving into the IPL as well. As a skipper, he’s striking at 149.48, second only to MS Dhoni.
We are now into the playoffs. DK and his Knights will face Rajasthan Royals in the eliminator that is to be played at Eden Gardens on May 23.
