KKR vs SRH: Dinesh Karthik jokes about training during commentary stint after breaching 4000-run mark in IPL

Dinesh Karthik on Sunday became the 7th Indian batsman to go past 4000 runs in the Indian Premier League and he celebrated the milestone with a match-winning cameo for Kolkata Knight Riders against Sunriers Hyderabad in Match 49 of IPL 2021 in Dubai on Sunday.

Dinesh Karthik gave the much-needed late impetus to KKR in a tricky chase of 116 on a sluggish Dubai pitch on Sunday. Karthik hit 3 boundaries for a 12-ball 18 not out as he hit the winning runs that boosted KKR’s hopes of reaching the play-offs.KKR vs SRH, IPL 2021 HighlightsDinesh Karthik is also only the 11th player overall to go past 4000 runs in the IPL. The former KKR captain, who has 209 matches in the IPL, has scored 4013 runs at an average of a little less than 30 over the last 14 years.Karthik has been doing the finisher’s role to perfection in the UAE leg of IPL 2021 for KKR. He hasn’t got a lot of strike but has chipped in with scores of 26 not out, 12, 11 and 18 not out.IPL 2021: Points Table | Full CoverageSpeaking after KKR’s win over SRH, Karthik joked that the training he did during his commentary stint in England came in handy on Sunday.Karthik did not play competitive cricket after the first leg of IPL as he was part of the commentary panel during the English summer. He commentated during India’s World Test Championship final and the Test series in England apart from the Hundred.”I thought it was a real good game of cricket. At half-time I knew it would be a tricky chase because the pitch was difficult.”I was practising a lot when I was doing commentary. Watching the game from afar… no I was just kidding.”It was just one of those days where I got lucky. This is not a game where you take the game deep. You create opportunities by using the crease and you play your shots,” Karthik said.I would give a lot of credit to Nitish Rana: KarthikMeanwhile, Karthik credited Nitish Rana for sticking around with Shubman Gill in a tricky chase that went down the wire. Rana hit only 25 from 33 balls but he stitched a 55-run stand with Gill, who hit his 8th IPL fifty.”I think you need to be flexible. I would give a lot of credit to Rana, he was playing second fiddle to Shubman. He realized that there was no point matching him shot for shot. He took his time and then hit a couple of big hits,” he added.KKR are at the 4th spot in the 8-team IPL 2021 points table with 12 points from 13 matches as they left the chasing pack of Mumbai Indians, Punjab Kings and Rajasthan Royals behind.KKR will next face Rajasthan Royals on October 7 and a victory in their final group-stage match will all but ensure a spot in the play-offs, thanks to their positive Net Run Rate.