As Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) stand one win away from their maiden IPL title, anticipation is rising—not just in the team camp, but also among former players and pundits. On the Sky Sports Podcast, ex-England captains Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton lightened the mood with a humorous take on the potential fallout if RCB lift the trophy in Ahmedabad on June 3.
“RCB have got through to the finals. If they win that, DK is going to be unbearable. One season as coach/mentor and he’s won it,” said Hussain, joking about Dinesh Karthik, the team’s newly appointed batting coach and mentor.
Atherton joined in, adding, “He’s unbearable at the best of times, he’s going to be doubly unbearable. He’ll be like John Terry, at the front of the RCB trophy presentation holding it there with Virat Kohli.”
The clip has gone viral on social media, offering a moment of levity ahead of what could be a historic moment for one of the IPL’s most popular franchises.
Dinesh Karthik’s deep ties with RCB
Though Karthik only recently retired from the IPL, his association with RCB is far from new. After a short stint in 2015, he returned to the team in 2022 and became a key figure over three seasons. In 53 innings for RCB, he scored 937 runs at an average of 24.65 and a striking rate of 162.95. His standout season came in 2022, when he smashed 330 runs in 16 innings with a phenomenal strike rate of 183.33—form that earned him a return to the Indian national team and a spot in the T20 World Cup in Australia.
In 2024, RCB brought him back into the fold in a new avatar—this time as a mentor. Just a month later, Karthik announced his retirement as a player, rounding out an influential on-field career with a transition into leadership.
From auction doubts to title contention
RCB’s path to the IPL 2025 final hasn’t been without skepticism. The franchise’s think tank—comprising head coach Andy Flower, Director of Cricket Mo Bobat, and mentor Dinesh Karthik—faced criticism following their decisions at the mega auction earlier this year. But the results have spoken for themselves.
The team finished second in the league stage with 19 points and a net run rate of +0.301. They then booked their spot in the final with a dominant win over Punjab Kings in Qualifier 1 at Mullanpur.
Now, as RCB prepare to face Punjab Kings—who defeated Mumbai Indians in Qualifier 2—the buzz around the IPL 2025 final is only growing.
All eyes on Ahmedabad
RCB have a chance to end their long-standing title drought and rewrite their history. But beyond the silverware, the possibility of a Dinesh Karthik front-and-center moment at the trophy presentation has added a humorous subplot that fans—and pundits—are clearly relishing.
If RCB do go on to win their maiden IPL title, it will mark a remarkable turnaround for the franchise—and a memorable debut season in the dugout for Dinesh Karthik.
