On Sunday, Dinesh Karthik hammered 29 runs off eight balls (three sixes, two fours) in a brute exhibition of power, which came as no surprise to Desai
Indian cricketer Dinesh Karthik (R) and Washington Sundar (L) react after scoring the winning run to defeat Bangladesh by 4 wickets during the final Nidahas Twenty20 Tri-Series international cricket match between India and Bangladesh at the R. Premadasa stadium in Colombo on March 18, 2018. Pic/AFP
ADVERTISEMENT
Team India's last-over hero in the Nidahas Trophy final has every reason to thank his Surat-based coach and mentor Apurva Desai. Since July 2016, Apurva has been training Karthik before every tournament.
"I had a four-day training session with him at the DY Patil Stadium [in Navi Mumbai] after he returned from South Africa. Our sessions include technical and tactical planning keeping in mind the conditions he's likely to face in a tournament," Desai told mid-day yesterday. On Sunday, Karthik hammered 29 runs off eight balls (three sixes, two fours) in a brute exhibition of power, which came as no surprise to Desai.
"I am not surprised with his power-hitting. DK is very sure about the areas he wants to hit the ball. As for that last-ball six, hitting it over covers might have been on his mind as he probably expected a yorker outside the off-stump," said Desai, who was introduced to Karthik by Mumbai cricketer Abhishek Nayar. "Abhishek wanted to
sort out a few areas in DK's game and felt he needed my guidance. That's how I became his coach.
Abhishek and myself have been continuously working on things like his basic technique and strokeplay. For some matches, where DK needs specific adjustments, I travel to the city where he is playing and do sessions before the match," Desai signed off.
Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
