IPL 2019: Dinesh Karthik responds to Andre Russell’s remarks of unhealthy team atmosphere

Kolkata Knight Riders defeated Mumbai Indians on Sunday at the Eden Gardens to finally break their six-match losing streak in the ongoing IPL 2019. KKR posted 232/2 thanks to Shubman Gill’s 76, Chris Lynn’s 54 and Andre Russell’s amazing 40-ball 80*. Despite Hardik Pandya’s blistering 91, MI well short of the target by 34 runs and this win has kept KKR alive in the race to playoffs.

The match was a big one for the Dinesh Karthik-led franchise, as their losing streak had put both fans and players in a state of depression, which was well mirrored by all-rounder Russell’s statements on the eve of the match. Russell had called the team atmosphere unhealthy in the pre-match press conference. There were also questions raised on captain Karthik’s leadership abilities as well and it was clear that something wasn’t right in the dressing room.

A lot of bickering and back-biting can go on

Dinesh Karthik finally got a chance to respond to the all-rounder’s comments that were made on the eve of the match. A win in this match has kept the Kolkata franchise alive in the race for the playoffs and Karthik mentioned that it’s his job to ensure players get their space and no backbiting and bickering ensues in the team.

“It’s a high-pressure sport, a high-octane tournament and you’ve got to make sure everybody’s in a great space, give them the best chance to do well and stay healthy. A lot of bickering and back-biting can go on in these sorts of situations. I’m very aware of it and make sure nothing like that happens,” Karthik was quoted as saying by Times Now.

The KKR skipper was well aware of all the happenings when the team was losing and was happy that they won finally. However, he added that his team is trying very hard and it is important to be smiling even in tough situations.

“At the end of the day, it’s a game. You play the best that you can. You need to keep a smile. You need to be nice to others. Everybody’s trying hard. I always believe that at the end of the day it’s a game. We all go back home and we need to be happy. I think they need to make sure they have a great experience playing with me. It shouldn’t be all about, ‘oh that guy was so bad when we lost’. I was very aware of that,” Karthik further added.

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