'I want to win matches the Dinesh Karthik way'
The Kolkata Knight Riders captain talks about leadership in T20, and developing his own methods to succeed
Responsibility. And with responsibility comes a lot of happiness if you look in the right direction: the joy of seeing a lot of young guys perform well, the joy of allowing the senior players to be their own selves. The owners and the coaches have given me absolute freedom and I've thoroughly enjoyed being part of this team till now, touch wood.
From the team they had picked, I wasn't too surprised. Venky Mysore [Kolkata Knight Riders CEO] called me up and said that they were looking at me leading the team. I knew I would be a leader of some sort, because I am a senior pro. Maybe a vice-captain or a captain - I was expecting that at some stage. There were not many senior India players in the squad so I was expecting it.
I was all guns blazing. I was like, "Yes, wow!" Because it is a great opportunity for me, where I stand in my life, it is something important and [something] I would love to do.
We had a good, long discussion, me and Venky. More than me bringing a certain way of what and how I do things, I thought it was important to hear him out in terms of what the culture at Knight Riders is. Gautam Gambhir led the franchise for seven years and he left a big legacy.
Team | Span | Matches | Runs | Avg | SR | 50s |
Delhi Daredevils | 2008-14 | 56 | 1036 | 25.26 | 126.49 | 6 |
Mumbai Indians | 2012-13 | 36 | 748 | 24.12 | 119.87 | 2 |
Gujarat Lions | 2016-17 | 30 | 696 | 30.26 | 132.57 | 5 |
Kings XI Punjab | 2011 | 14 | 282 | 25.63 | 128.18 | 1 |
Kolkata Knight Riders | 2018* | 8 | 235 | 39.16 | 138.23 | 0 |
Royal Challengers Bangalore | 2015 | 16 | 141 | 12.81 | 120.51 | 0 |
We stand at a vantage point in the ground. We have a good view of everything - what's the batsman doing, what are the kind of fields that can be set? Off the field, it depends on the type of person you are.
It is important to have leadership groups, but at the end of the day I need to be taking the call because I'm responsible for the team and I should know exactly what I'm doing and I believe in that.
"One of my strengths as a person is, I'm very easy-going. You know me by now, I'm a restless, fidgety kind of guy who is always laughing, playing and monkeying around"
One of my strengths as a person is, I'm very easy-going. You know me by now, I'm a restless, fidgety kind of guy who is always laughing, playing and monkeying around. It is the same with the young guys - I kind of like being friends with them. At least I would like to think I give an image where they don't feel, "Oh god, he is a senior."
I did watch that innings. I genuinely wish I play some day like him, but I guess it won't happen in this new, short life of mine.
It was a typical good Dinesh Karthik innings: hitting gaps, running hard, pushing people.
Expression comes from confidence. I'm able to go and play freely because of the confidence I am trying to gain after every game. It is important that if I do that consistently, touch wood, then obviously things start falling in place. AB de Villiers does what he does because he is confident of whatever he is doing, he has done it over and over and over again, so he knows exactly how to play, how to set a bowler up, what are the kind of shots he could play. It comes with basically doing well. You then just repeat your skills.
Most days I am nervous as it is. The days when I'm not, I try and keep my adrenaline up by doing some running etc. The adrenaline is very important for me when I go in to bat. That makes me tick, makes me think better. When your energy is up and running, you have a much better chance of doing well.
I just fit in anywhere. Why restrict myself when I feel versatility is one of my strengths. Why restrict myself to a certain number? I will try and focus on what I can do on a given day in a certain situation rather than putting a number to my batting and saying I'm comfortable here. I would much rather go out and use my brains a bit, assess the situation, and try and do the best I can with my batting.
Everybody wants to hit a century. [However] to hit a century you have to bat in the top three - that is the best chance of getting to the landmark. I don't know a lot of No. 4s who have got a century. In most teams I have played in, people don't want me to bat in the top three, they want me to finish an innings, create impetus in the middle. Those are the kind of roles they are looking at. Yes, I would love to score a century. And I do have the skill to score a century. I believe in that. More important than that is the fact that I can win matches, and that is the skill that I want to master. If you ask me: do you want me to score a century or be a middle-order finisher - middle-order finisher every day of the week.
It is just the way the game has changed. Before, 140 was a winning total. [Now] coaches want you to go in and smack it. Go in and express yourself and play shots with good intent throughout the innings. Does it sound like a very clichéd answer?
I am not as powerful as [Andre] Russell. As I said, I have to find the DK way of doing things, which is run hard, find the gaps, run hard, beat the field.
Four overs for 40 [at the death] was unthinkable a few years ago. Now four overs 40 is unthinkable for a bowler to restrict. There is no Karthik's way or Dhoni's way, it is just about finishing the game. It is just about knowing your game, what are the shots you can play, how are the shots you can get executed on that day, on that wicket. Those are the questions you need to answer.
Yes, that was clarity. That can be achieved by trying to get into the zone consistently, for which you ought to prepare and practise.
Ninety-five per cent. There is not much planning you can do. It is a very fluid game. If you want to produce results on the field, the way you practise is going to give you the answers on the field.
Nagraj Gollapudi is a senior assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo