"You can get on a bad roll as well"- Dinesh Karthik on the challenges of playing in the IPL

Former Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) captain Dinesh Karthik has acknowledged that the two-time IPL champions have played some good cricket in patches. KKR haven't been able to put in consistent performances, which is why the Eoin Morgan-led unit is languishing in the bottom half of the table.

Karthik expressed this opinion during a documentary released by the franchise ahead of the upcoming second leg of the 14th season of the IPL. He said in this regard:

"I think it's been up and down. I think we've played some good cricket. We've played some good cricket in patches. But we've not been consistent, that's why we are at this stage right now."

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Karthik further added that the Knight Riders are capable of playing better cricket than what they have done in the recent past. He reckoned that while various players have stood up on occasions, the senior players have largely flattered to deceive. He elaborated in this regard:

"I think we are definitely capable of better cricket. At various points of time, different people have stood up, and at times the main guys haven't stood up,"

"It's a hard tournament; it's not an easy one" - Dinesh Karthik on the IPL

Dinesh Karthik plays for KKR in the IPL.

KKR failed to qualify for the playoffs in the last season of the IPL. They ended up in the fifth spot after managing seven victories in 14 games.

Their 2021 campaign started on an even more abysmal note. They garnered only two wins in their first seven games before the tournament was indefinitely suspended because of a COVID-19 outbreak in the bio-bubbles of multiple teams.

The IPL is one of the toughest tournaments to win due to a variety of reasons. But most importantly, it is difficult to maintain the same level of performance and intensity over 14 games. Karthik admitted the same while adding that sometimes it is difficult to stop the rot once a team starts losing matches.

Karthik said:

"You know that's one of the challenges of playing the IPL. I think it's a hard tournament; it's not an easy one. Sometimes, you start doing well, you can get on a roll, and sometimes when you don't do well, you can get on a bad roll as well."

The former KKR captain will be looking to contribute more with the bat than he has in recent times.

Most times Top-scoring for the team in IPL:-[excluding Openers]41: AB de Villiers39: Suresh Raina35: Rohit Sharma25: Virat Kohli25: Ambati Rayudu24: Dinesh Karthik#IPL2021 #ABdeVilliers #PlayBold

— The Cricket Panda (@TheCricketPanda) September 11, 2021

In IPL 2020, Karthik managed just 169 runs in 14 innings at an average of 14.08. He fared slightly better during the first leg of the current season, scoring 123 runs in seven outings at an average of 30.75 and a strike rate of 138.2.

The Knight Riders will resume their IPL 2021 campaign against the Royal Challengers Bangalore in Abu Dhabi on September 20.