‘He wants the Big…’: Dinesh Karthik on what makes Virat Kohli special

Dinesh Karthik shares insights into Virat Kohli's mindset for big moments from their time with India and RCB.

Former India and Royal Challengers Bengaluru player Dinesh Karthik recently spoke about his long association with Virat Kohli, offering insights into the person behind one of Indian cricket’s biggest stars. Karthik and Kohli have shared dressing rooms both at the international level with India and during their time together at RCB.

Speaking on the Beard Before Wicket podcast, Karthik described Kohli as an intense competitor on the field but someone easy going and relatable off it.

“He’s a fierce competitor but a fun-loving guy outside of it. He’s just a normal human being like any one of us. It’s just that he is an extraordinary world champion batter. That’s one side of him. The other side of him is a normal human being who is from Delhi who cracks those jokes like any Delhiite would. A great family man and I have immense respect for him and I’ve always had a very good healthy respectful relationship with him all through.

“Yes, I’m a bit older than him. But it’s not the age difference that has earned my earned the respect we have in the relationship. It’s just how we have treated one another over a period of time and we’ve seen some proper ups and proper lows as well. And I think what I see in him is the boy that I see when I met him for the first time and I have loved his growth in the sport.”

Karthik went on to highlight the aspect of Kohli’s personality that he admires the most – his mental strength and refusal to back down, especially in high-pressure situations. The former RCB captain, according to Karthik, thrives when the stakes are highest.

“I think he is a man who is made for the big moments because he wants it more than anybody else. There are people who when the big moment comes, they’re like, “Oh, what do I do?” And he before the start of the game wants that moment to be his. That is a mindset. He’s again a serial winner wherever he’s played. Be it the U19 World Cup, 2011 World Cup, 2024 World Cup, Champions Trophy winner. The IPL was the last one so to say that he’s played so many years and not achieved and he eventually went on to achieve that as well. Ended up as the highest run getter for RCB.

“He is a man who who enjoys winning more than anything else in life. So he’s one of those. I genuinely admire that quality in him, the will to fight and not back down for a second. That’s a trait you got to learn from that man. That is that is a unbelievable characteristic,” he said.

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