IPL 2021: “If we can edge Mumbai Indians today, it will put us in a position of strength” - Dinesh Karthik

Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) keeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik reckons the franchise will be in a strong position if they find a way to get past Mumbai Indians (MI) on Thursday.

KKR are taking on MI in match 34 of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2021) in Abu Dhabi. The defending champions enjoy a fabulous 22-6 win-loss record over the Kolkata franchise. KKR won the toss and decided to bowl first in the match.

Speaking ahead of the game, Karthik agreed that the match would be extremely significant for the team. He explained that a win against MI would put them in a good position in the points table.

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“It is a very crucial game for us because it will put us in a very interesting spot in the table. If we can find a way to edge over Mumbai Indians (MI) today, it will really put us in a position of strength going forward in the tournament,” Karthik told IPLT20.com.

Karthik conceded that MI have some highly skilled performers, but added that Kolkata are high on confidence following their triumph over RCB.

“The Indian boys for the Mumbai Indians are very skilled. A lot of them are playing the World Cup so obviously they have a lot of confidence. But I think the way we played against RCB, if we can bring that game to the table, it would be really good,” the wicketkeeper-batter opined.

KKR defeated RCB by nine wickets in their previous encounter while MI went down to CSK by 20 runs.

“We speak the same language, so a bit of banter here and there” - Dinesh Karthik on chat with Varun Chakravarthy

During the match against RCB, Karthik was constantly seen commenting from behind the stumps, especially when Varun Chakravarthy was bowling. Admitting that language had something to do with it, he stated:

“There’s this one kid from Tamil Nadu - Varun Chakravarthy. Obviously, we speak the same language, so a bit of banter here and there. But, when Sunil Narine comes, I am sure I am pretty quiet.”

During the interaction, Karthik also opened up on his equation with current skipper Eoin Morgan. The veteran batter revealed that he enjoys a good relationship with the captain and keeps exchanging thoughts with the England cricketer when needed.

“We form a very good partnership. He asks me a few things in between, in which direction are we going. I give him my opinion, and then he goes about doing what he is comfortable with. So there’s a nice camaraderie there as captain and vice-captain. The sync is good. We think differently. There is no use of two people thinking the same thing on the ground,” Karthik concluded.

Going into the clash against MI, KKR are at number six in the points table, with three wins in eight games. However, they have a healthy net run rate of +0.110 owing to their thumping victory over RCB.