A Finisher of extraterrestrial sorts – A man of iconic words: Wishing Dinesh Karthik a very happy 40th birthday

Cricket isn’t just all about the battle of the willow and the leather, it is far more than that. It is a matter of countless emotions unfurling on the cast iron slab (read 22 yards) that has scripted an unparalleled lore of tales which would be told over and over again. Legends will come and legends will go but their stories, the moments of unparalleled brilliance, those frenzied emotions, they remain encased in time.

It is a mix and match of those feisty and fiery battles that would leave our favourite mega-structures (read stadiums) ablaze while being narrated by a league of extraordinary gentlemen behind the microphone. Tinkering with the technicalities, the practice of storytelling in a cricket match is called commentary and it is done by experts of the sport who have seen the game up close and are dotingly known as the commentators.

In a wave of new commentators who are all set to take the baton of excellence forward, one person who has taken to the role like a fish to water, knitting together a garland of emotions blended with a few signature notes of his own is none other than RCB’s very own, Dinesh Karthik. DK, who is currently serving in his role as mentor and batting coach, has seen the battles from up close, whether in RCB or the Indian threads. So, when he is calling a moment, it becomes a tale, a tale featuring a whirlwind of feelings, one that can keep you hooked to the edge of your seats, a journey where cricket meets elegant storytelling.

On his 40th birthday, here’s to three of his iconic quotes on the microphone:

On Virat Kohli – “He starts like a Corolla but finishes like a Ferrari”

Virat Kohli was in effusive touch against England in 2021 and when the Englishmen wanted to spoil India’s party at Ahmedabad, it was the stylish right-hander who smashed the bowlers around, putting together an important 77. Kohli walked in with India in trouble at 20/2 and got to 28 off 29 balls, before he stepped on the gas and smashed his next 49 runs in just 17 balls, eliciting the comment from Karthik, which went viral on social media.

Rubbing off Nasser Hussain – “Exactly the opposite of you”!

The world is well aware of the fact that the number of players who can play the pull shot as good as the Indian captain, Rohit Sharma, is few and far between. During India’s first appearance in the WTC final, former England Nasser Hussain said on commentary, “Rohit is a great puller of the short ball. Uses his feet well against spin. Shows positive intent.” DK was quick to pull Hussain’s leg and retorted by saying, “Yes, exactly the opposite of you, Nass!”

On MS Dhoni – “Mere mortals would find it hard to emulate an MS Dhoni”

Time and time again, MS Dhoni has proven himself to be a maverick of the art of wicket-keeping and the kind of dismissals that he has affected, other wicket-keepers can only dream of those moments. Talking about how Dhoni has completely transformed wicket-keeping with his unconventional and yet effective methods, Karthik once said, “Mere mortals would find it hard to emulate an MS Dhoni!”