Virat Kohli Folds Hands, Politely Declines Dinesh Karthik’s Advice; DK Later Admits ‘I Am Too Small a Person to Even Speak About Him’
Virat Kohli may no longer be the captain of Royal Challengers Bengaluru, but his leadership instincts remain strong. During RCB’s IPL 2025 clash against Rajasthan Royals, Kohli, stationed near the dugout at the boundary, was frequently engaged by head coach Andy Flower and batting coach Dinesh Karthik.
In the 13th over, Kohli noticed a ball change was imminent a move that would favour spinners on the dry Chinnaswamy Stadium surface. Acting swiftly, he relayed the message to stand-in skipper Rajat Patidar, leading to Krunal Pandya completing his third over.
A light-hearted moment unfolded between overs when Flower and Karthik approached Kohli with a suggestion. However, Kohli, fielding at long-on, humorously folded his hands and gestured a polite refusal, declining to hear Karthik out. While the nature of the advice remains unknown, speculation on X (formerly Twitter) suggested Karthik might have proposed Kohli bowl an over a suggestion Virat wasn’t keen on. The playful exchange quickly caught fans’ attention online, generating considerable buzz.
Regardless of the moment, RCB secured an 11-run win over Rajasthan Royals, marking their first home victory of the season. Post-match, Dinesh Karthik praised Kohli’s judgment and decision-making.
Dinesh Karthik on Virat Kohli:
“There is a loss for words. Purely the hunger that he has. It’s one thing to play in the IPL for 18 years, but it’s a different thing to be consistent for that long. This tells you a lot about the man. And he’s very determined. In the first three games in Bengaluru, he told me two things. One was that he could have probably thought a little better and next, even the fans the way he looks at it he knows that a lot of people turn up just to watch him bat,” Karthik shared in the dressing room.
“So you can see that even though he did not say it explicitly, he felt that. And if that man puts his mind to something, the way he adapts, understands situations, I am too small a person to even speak about him. He is an absolute champion. Just the way he guided Dev along the way, making sure he took Salt along at the start. His body language and commitment to a cause is outstanding.”
Kohli continues his strong form this season, amassing 392 runs so far, including five half-centuries. A two-time Orange Cap winner (2016, 2024), he is now just 25 runs shy of overtaking Gujarat Titans’ Sai Sudarshan, who leads with 417 runs. With scores of 59 not out, 31, 7, 67, 22, 62 not out, 1, 73 not out, and 70, Kohli is once again showing the consistency that could see him become only the second player after David Warner to claim three Orange Caps.