Dinesh Karthik. (Photo Source: BCCI/IPL)
Former India cricketer Irfan Pathan believes that Royal Challengers Bangalore will have to sort their middle order immediately as other than Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis, and Glenn Maxwell, no other cricketer is contributing enough with the bat. The 38-year-old also criticized Dinesh Karthik for not contributing at all, be it while batting first or during a chase.
The former left-arm pacer thus urged the franchise to find an immediate solution as their middle order looks extremely weak at the moment. When it comes to Karthik, the stumper-batter was in brilliant form in the last edition of the tournament, and courtesy of which, he was named in India’s squad for the Asia Cup and the T20 World Cup 2022. However, in IPL 2023, Karthik has managed to score only 83 runs in eight matches and thus, there are some serious concerns regarding his form.
“RCB will have to find a solution that if KGF (Kohli, Glenn, Faf) do not work then who will steer the team through troubled waters? Whether Dinesh Karthik or Mahipal Lomror,” Pathan said on Star Sports.
“RCB’s middle order looks very weak. Karthik could not prove even once in the last 8 matches that the team can rely on him for big scores or during chases. RCB management will have to fix this loophole in their batting,” the former cricketer added.
RCB sign Kedar Jadhav as David Willey’s replacement
In order to strengthen their middle order, RCB signed veteran all-rounder Kedar Jadhav as David Willey’s replacement. Notably, Jadhav has played 93 matches in the IPL and has 1196 runs against his name. The right-handed batter, who has previously represented RCB in 17 matches, was brought on board for INR 1 Crore.
When it comes to his recent performances, the 38-year-old last featured for Maharashtra in the Ranji Trophy. In his last match against Mumbai on January 24, Jadhav smashed 128 runs in the first innings and two runs in the second.