Royal Challengers Bangalore surprised Rajasthan Royals by handing over their maiden defeat of the season on Tuesday. Seasoned wicket-keeper batter Dinesh Karthik's heroics with the bat spoiled the Royals' plan, who were once looking confident to grab the game. While chasing 169, Bangalore lost early wickets in the game, and they were at the loss of five wickets when Karthik arrived at the crease.

Dinesh Karthik

Unbeaten Dinesh Karthik and Shahbaz Ahmed added 67 runs on board as they rescued RCB from a precarious 87 for five midway through the match. However, Karthik, who is riding high on confidence after back-to-back impressive performances, believes 'he is not done yet.'

In the post-match presentation, Karthik said, "I trained hard this time, and throughout that period, I used to remind myself that I am not done yet. Felt I could have done better in the last few years. The way I have trained has been different."

He said that he planned his innings so that RCB achieved the target. "We needed 12 runs an over, so you need to figure out what to do. Stay calm, identify the areas and target specific bowlers. I played white-ball cricket, practice matches and scenarios," added 36-year-old Karthik.

He also admitted that he was preparing well for the ongoing season, and that's what was bearing fruit at the right time. "The real hard work is when you sweat out when no one is there to see you or applaud you. You have to be premediated in T20, but if it's not there, you have to have the ability to change the shot," said Karthik.

Earlier, RCB skipper has also rated Dinesh Karthik as a world-class finisher and compared his composure with the likes of MS Dhoni. "He is as dangerous and as cool as MS. He is completely unpredictable and can turn the game on his shoulders. His best always comes when things are tight and heading towards the end," Du Plessis was quoted earlier.

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