Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], March 14– Former Indian cricketer and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batter Dinesh Karthik lauded the Indian Premier League (IPL) for revolutionizing the mindset of Indian players and contributing significantly to the growth of sports infrastructure in the country. Reflecting on his career during the RCB Innovation Lab Indian Sports Summit, Karthik highlighted how the IPL has fostered a “winning mentality” among Indian cricketers and emphasized its role in shaping the future of Indian cricket
In a conversation with Mo Bobat, Director of Cricket at RCB, and former England cricketer Isa Guha, Karthik said, “The IPL has brought out a winning mentality in all our players. With the influx of money and financial benefits received by the teams and stakeholders, much of it has been reinvested into infrastructure. As infrastructure grows, the quality of sport inevitably develops.”
Karthik, who currently serves as RCB’s batting coach and mentor, went on to highlight how the IPL has allowed India to field multiple competitive teams simultaneously at the international level. “Since the IPL became part of Indian cricket, we can now field two to three teams in international cricket at the same time, and they can almost compete with each other. India is now in a privileged position with an excellent assortment of cricketers across various skill sets,” he added.
Reflecting on his early IPL experiences, Karthik shared how spending time with Australian pace legend Glenn McGrath, as part of the Delhi Capitals (DC) squad, had a lasting impact on his approach to the game. He recalled, “For me, the whole ideology of how Australia played at that time was a massive shock. They were like a pack of wolves out to win every game. But in my first year of the IPL, I spent time with Glenn McGrath, practiced with him, got to know him better, and became comfortable. This boosted my confidence and mindset to compete with the best.”
The ongoing RCB Innovation Lab Indian Sports Summit is being held at the Padukone Dravid Centre for Sports Excellence in Bengaluru on March 14-15.