Karthik was part of the Mumbai Indians ' (MI) first-ever title-winning IPL team in 2013 and led the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for almost three years.
Karthik opened up about the RCB fandom and lavised praise on the loyalty and family-like affection supporters of the franchise have for their players.
“On a personal level, that same fan will abuse me silently in DMs every day, rather than on a one-on-one note.
But to the outside world, They will not give up an RCB player.
Karthik has had two stints with RCB, having played for them in the IPL 2015 and later rejoining them in 2022.
Dinesh Karthik opened up on RCB's fanbase |Courtesy-screeengrab
KEY HIGHLIGHTS Dinesh Karthik opened up on Royal Challengers Bengaluru's fanbase
Karthik played for RCB in IPL 2015
Karthik has been part of RCB since the 2022 IPL mega auction
Dinesh Karthik is a name that holds a special place in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL), as he has not just been part of the league in all 17 seasons so far but is also someone who has missed just two matches and played for a remarkable six teams in the history of the league.
Karthik was part of the Mumbai Indians ' (MI) first-ever title-winning IPL team in 2013 and led the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for almost three years. Before that, he started his career at the Delhi Daredevils and also played for the Kings XI Punjab and Gujarat Lions. However, it is at Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) that the star batter has become a fan favorite after becoming one of the best finishers in the league.
Karthik opened up about the RCB fandom and lavised praise on the loyalty and family-like affection supporters of the franchise have for their players. The 38-year-old pointed out how RCB fans are always there to defend their players but stated there is a negative to their passion for the franchise and revealed he receives abuse when his performances are not up to mark.
“RCB fans are loyalists. They are actually family, and I say that in good and bad ways. The good way is that when you go, no matter what happens, if I walk in, they will cheer my name and make me feel like I'm the greatest player on Earth. What I mean by that is that to the outside world, they will never give up on you. If there is a fight between say you know some team and they say, “Oh, X is not a good player,” they will pounce on that person,” Karthik said on Ashwin's Youtube channel.
“On a personal level, that same fan will abuse me silently in DMs every day, rather than on a one-on-one note. He will go hard at me if I don't do well for RCB; he will smash me, not just me, my family, and whoever is possible in my life. But to the outside world, They will not give up an RCB player. For them, it is very special, and what a fan base they have for a team that has been competing for 16 years! unreal fan base that they have, as I said. I've been part of many teams. You know all of them have fans, but RCB is incredible," Karthik added.
Karthik has had two stints with RCB, having played for them in the IPL 2015 and later rejoining them in 2022. Karthik has played 50 matches for RCB and made 701 runs for them with an average of 22.61 and a strike rate of 154.74.
