Team mentor and batting coach Dinesh Karthik had special praise in store for the head coach Andy Flower, who had a “plan and vision” from the start and put the entire Royal Challengers Bengaluru through “rigour” en route to their maiden Indian Premier League (IPL) title after 18 years. The wait of millions of Bengaluru fans finally came to a sweet end when its franchise icon went down on his knees, soaking in every moment that passed by. Royal Challengers pipped Punjab Kings by six runs to paint Ahmedabad red.
Dinesh Karthik’s Journey with RCB in IPL
Dinesh Karthik was named as the new batting coach and mentor of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru. He will join the coaching staff of the franchise in the Indian Premier League 2025. The veteran retired from the cash rich league after IPL 2024. He played a key role in RCB’s qualification to the playoffs.
Dinesh Karthik became a fan favourite in RCB on his second stint with the franchise when he returned to IPL 2022. He donned the finisher’s role with perfection and smashed 796 runs in his last three seasons of the cash-rich league.
Dinesh Karthik represented the country in 180 games across all three formats, scoring 3463 runs with a one Test hundred and 17 half-centuries. Karthik also inflicted 172 dismissals to his credit, most of them behind the stumps. He last played for India in India’s 2022 T20 World Cup match against Bangladesh.
Dinesh Karthik made a strong case for a comeback in the Indian team for the 2024 T20 World Cup, enjoying another field season with 326 runs, but the selectors went ahead with Sanju Samson and the returning Rishabh Pant. His retirement was on the cards after Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s ouster from the IPL Eliminator, and Karthik chose his 39th birthday to make the decision official.
Dinesh Karthik, the 2007 T20 World Cup-winning star has a rich experience playing in IPL, making 257 appearances and scoring 4842 runs at an average of 26.32. Karthik started his IPL journey with the Delhi Capitals (formerly Daredevils) before going on to represent Kolkata Knight Riders, Mumbai Indians and Kings XI Punjab. After retiring from cricket Dinesh Karthik took up the role of commentator but was called back by RCB to be their mentor and batting coach.
June 3 2025 will be etched forever in the hearts of Royal Challengers Bengaluru fans all across the globe, as the franchise broke its trophy drought after 18 long seasons. Season 18 of the IPL had parallels drawn towards RCB and India’s No. 18 Virat Kohli that it could be his year after the IPL crown eluded him for 18 long years. After posting a par score of 190 for 9, RCB defended the total by a margin of six runs with a collective bowling effort led by Krunal Pandya, who bowled a miserly spell of 2 for 17 in his four overs.
RCB wins the coveted IPL Trophy 2025 after beating PBKS by 6 runs
Punjab Kings bowlers did everything they could to restrict Royal Challengers Bengaluru to 190 for nine. But their batters failed to get the job done. RCB managed to get over the line despite not having the best time with the bat. Virat Kohli top-scored with 43 off 35 balls while skipper Rajat Patidar couldn’t build on a good start, managing 26 off 16 balls. For Punjab Kings, Yuzvendra Chahal was brilliant with figures of 1/37 in 4 overs, while Kyle Jamieson had the figures of 3 for 48.
Krunal Pandya turned the pressure on PBKS, dismissing impact sub Prabhsimran Singh, even as they made 52/1 in the powerplay, before Bhuvneshwar shut the doors on Punjab when he got rid of Nehal Wadhera and Marcus Stoinis in a span of three deliveries in the 17th over and thereon, RCB’s triumph was only a formality. Post the victory RCB Former player and current mentor and batting coach Dinesh Karthik was all in praise of the coach and players for making a dream possible after 17 years.
Dinesh Karthik praises coach and players for winning IPL 2025
Royal Challengers Bengaluru mentor and batting coach Dinesh Karthik said being part of RCB was a very special feeling.Team mentor and batting coach Dinesh Karthik had special praise in store for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru head coach Andy Flower. Moments after the victory Karthik put special emphasis on the unsung hero, Flower, who pulled the strings behind the scenes to find the perfect blueprint for Bengaluru’s triumph.
“This game, the final, it’s not about the pitch; it’s about the emotion and the fire in the tank. A lot of credit goes to the support staff. Must say Andy Flower put us through the rigour,” Karthik said after the match.
For Karthik, Flower had a special impact on him. The way Flower groomed him helped him turn into a better batting coach than he started.
“Really pushed us. And I think it made us a good support staff. I’ve become a better batting coach than I started. The way he’s groomed me and helped me. From the start, he had a plan and a vision. Amazing work by the boys,” he added.
For Dinesh Karthik, the victory was “massive”, considering legends including Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers, and Virat endured 18 years of agony before experiencing euphoria.
“Massive. It’s a team that’s waited 18 years. I played a lot of good cricket but had to wait for its time. But it belongs to every fan here. Virat Kohli. The greats like AB and Gayle, they’ve all tried their hearts out. A couple of support staff in our team: Basu, Mane kaka, they’ve all waited 18 years. Really happy for them,” he said.
RCB didn’t just start fathoming the thought after qualifying for the playoffs. The belief was instilled in the team right from the beginning, and the pressure served as a motivation boost.
“Right from the start, we believed we were a team that was good. We had a lot of bases covered. Great to see different boys stand up at different points in time. Even today, it was a high-pressure game, and they really pushed us,” he concluded.
Eighteen years of heartbreak. Eighteen years of hope. And on the night of June 3, 2025, it all came rushing out like a dam burst. The moment Josh Hazlewood finished delivering the final ball of the match – sealing Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s first-ever IPL title – the city of Bengaluru erupted. Not with chaos, but with unfiltered, joyous madness.
The sky lit up with multi-coloured crackers, streets transformed into rivers of red and gold, and the chant that had echoed in hopeful tones for over a decade – Ee Sala Cup Namde – was finally declared with certainty: Ee Sala Cup Namdu and there would have no other better testament of Dinesh Karthik who served the team first as a player and then as a mentor.
Also Read:Â MI vs PBKS : Shikhar Dhawan Picks The Winner Between Upcoming MI & PBKS Encounter