'Calculated risk by Dinesh Karthik broke spirit of Royals' - Brad Hogg highlights turning point in RR vs RCB game

Former Australian spinner Brad Hogg explained the way Dinesh Karthik changed the game in RCB’s favour by taking a calculated risk against Ravichandran Ashwin. Karthik came to the crease when the score was 87 for 5 and he straightaway went after the bowling, reducing the run rate pressure and also changing the momentum in his team’s favour. The right-hander stitched a 67-run partnership with Shahbaz Ahmed for the sixth wicket and it sealed the game for RCB.

The 36-year-old batter has already shown his finishing skills in the IPL before and has done the job for India in the past as well. However, he did not have the best of seasons last year for KKR and wasn’t retained by them. The wicketkeeper-batter was picked up by RCB in the IPL 2022 mega auction and he has given them outstanding performances already, in the three games they have played so far. The best of the lot was the unbeaten 44 off just 23 balls against RR in the previous game.

That was a key moment and match up on the spin-friendly wicket: Brad Hogg

When Rajasthan looked like running away with the game, Karthik took his Tamil Nadu teammate R Ashwin for plenty in his final over and used the spin-friendly conditions to his advantage. Hogg was impressed with the way Karthik approached the run chase with calculated risks and noted how Karthik saw out the 17th over from Chahal without losing his wicket.

“A calculated risk by Dinesh Karthik broke the spirit of RR last night in the 14th over taking 20 off Ashwin. That was a key moment and match-up on the spin-friendly wicket. #RRvRCB,” Brad Hogg tweeted.

RCB have won two games in a row now and they are likely to be bolstered by the addition of Glenn Maxwell in the playing XI for the next match. They will play the Mumbai Indians in their next encounter at the MCA Stadium in Pune on the 9th of April.