One of the integral members of the Knight Riders batting unit, Dinesh Karthik, has been assigned the responsibility of finishing the innings and guiding the team over the line in the past couple of seasons.

In the shortest format of the game, the role of the finisher has been one of the significant aspects in deciding the fortunes of the sides, and our vice-captain has been phenomenal with the bat in the back end of the innings, to say the least. 

In the death overs (16-20) since 2020, Karthik has amassed 223 runs at a strike rate of 170.23 against the pacers, the third-highest among Indian players. Over the years, his consistency has been one of the primary reasons for the success of the Knight Riders. The right-handed batter has an average of 44.60 and is fourth in the list of best averages among players with a minimum of 50 deliveries.

With years of international experience, the 36-year old has been lethal against the left-arm pacers and has a strike rate of 183.02 compared to 161.54 against the right-arm quicks. For someone consistently shouldering the responsibility of the side in the death overs, Karthik has an astonishing average of 48.50 against left-arm pacers and 42 against the right arm bowlers.

Another vital aspect that makes Karthik unique is his ability to find the boundary in the final overs. In the IPL since 2020, he has scored 62.78 percent of his runs in boundaries, making him one of the best finishers in the league.

Earlier in the league match against the Chennai Super Kings at the Zayed Cricket Stadium, Karthik's 26 off 11 deliveries studded with three boundaries and one six propelled the Knight Riders to 171/6 in their quota of 20 overs. Coming in at number seven, he provided the team with much-needed impetus in the back end of the innings by scoring at a strike rate of 236.26.

"DK (Dinesh Karthik) is probably one of the best finishers in the IPL. He got about three overs to bat but, what he did do today is he showed the world his class once again," said David Hussey after Karthik's exploits in the final stages of the first innings against CSK.

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With the team gearing up for the eliminator on Monday, 11th October, against the Royal Challengers Bangalore, the Knight Riders will be reliant on the experience of Karthik to guide them over the finish line in this high-voltage clash.