Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Mar 14: Former India wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik believes that the current Indian white-ball team has the potential to dominate world cricket for the next decade and beyond.

Speaking at the RCB Innovation Lab Indian Sports Summit on Friday, Karthik, who is also the mentor of Royal Challengers Bengaluru, credited the IPL and a strong domestic structure for India’s remarkable depth in talent.

“Not many countries can say they can field two to three international teams and still compete at the highest level,” said Karthik, who was part of India’s 2013 Champions Trophy-winning squad and later witnessed India’s triumph in Dubai as a broadcaster. “India is in a privileged position with a diverse pool of players. In the last nine months, they have won two major tournaments (T20 World Cup and Champions Trophy). The sky is the limit.”

Reflecting on India’s transformation, Karthik highlighted how the IPL changed the country’s cricketing mindset. “Earlier, India was content with just competing. But now, the focus is on winning. With increased investment in the game, infrastructure has improved, and so has the quality of players.”

Recalling his early years in international cricket, Karthik admitted that he was in awe of Australia’s aggressive brand of cricket. “They played like a pack of wolves. But after playing with Glenn McGrath in the IPL, the awe factor reduced, and that helped us compete better.”

Meanwhile, RCB is aiming for a similar shift in mindset. “We are a big brand, but the IPL trophy remains elusive,” said Mo Bobat, RCB’s Director of Cricket. “In Bangalore, you are reminded of that within minutes of arriving. But instead of focusing on what could go wrong, our goal is to keep players excited about the opportunity ahead.”