Former India cricketer Dinesh Karthik has offered a rare, deeply personal insight into Virat Kohli, shedding light on the man behind one of modern cricket’s most intense on-field personas. Having shared the dressing room with Kohli for years, both in the Indian team and at Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Karthik spoke about a bond built on trust, mutual respect and shared experiences at the highest level.
‘A fierce competitor, but a normal human being’, says Dinesh Karthik about Virat Kohli
Instead of focusing on records and milestones, Karthik highlighted Kohli’s personality, his handling of pressure and the mindset that has defined his long career. He explained how Kohli seamlessly balances his aggressive competitiveness on the field with a relaxed, approachable nature off it.
“He’s a fierce competitor but a fun-loving guy outside of it. He’s just a normal human being like any one of us. It’s just that he is an extraordinary world champion batter,” Karthik said on the Beard Before Wicket podcast. “The other side of him is a normal human being from Delhi who cracks jokes like any Delhiite would — a great family man. I have immense respect for him, and we’ve always shared a very healthy, respectful relationship.”
Karthik added that their relationship was never defined by seniority or age, but by how they treated each other through different phases of their careers, whether during highs or difficult periods. “Yes, I’m a bit older than him, but it’s not age that has earned respect in our relationship,” Karthik explained. “It’s how we’ve treated one another over time. We’ve seen proper ups and proper lows, and what I see in him today is still the boy I met for the first time. I’ve loved watching his growth in the sport.”
According to Karthik, Kohli’s most defining trait is his hunger for responsibility in high-pressure situations — something that sets him apart from even the best athletes.
“I think he’s made for big moments because he wants them more than anybody else,” Karthik said. “When big moments arrive, some people hesitate. He, on the other hand, wants that moment to be his even before the game begins.”
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