Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) ended their trophy drought as they lifted their first-ever Indian Premier League (IPL) title after 18 years, defeating the Punjab Kings (PBKS) by 6 runs on Tuesday, June 3, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
However, things were not as sweet at the start, as people were concerned over the team selection in the auction, and many questioned the management's decision to let go of some of their biggest names.
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Dinesh Karthik was appointed as the mentor of the team ahead of the new season, and the former Indian wicket-keeper didn't take much time to turn the fortunes of the Bengaluru-based franchise.
Under Karthik and co.'s management, RCB managed to win 9 out of their 14 games in the league stage before proceeding to beat Punjab twice in the playoffs.
Just days before the final, former English cricketers Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton jokingly claimed that Karthik would become 'unbearable' if RCB went on to lift the trophy this season.
They felt that as RCB mentor, Karthik would flaunt his achievement of guiding the team to their long-eluded title after just one season as a coach.
Meanwhile, Karthik decided to hit back over the 'unbearable jibe' in his own way.
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How did Dinesh Karthik respond?
Following RCB's historic win over Punjab Kings in the final of the IPL 2025, Dinesh Karthik responded with a 'hello' post and a wink emoji on X (formerly Twitter) at former English cricketers, now pundits, Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton over their 'unbearable jibe'. Check out the tweet below.
Hello @nassercricket @Athersmike @SkyCricket
— DK (@DineshKarthik) June 3, 2025
😉 pic.twitter.com/qBZTVqeW0F
Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton recently appeared on a SkySports Cricket Podcast where they claimed that Karthik's going to be unbearable if RCB manages to win the elusive trophy, as they felt he would wear it like a badge everywhere, drawing comparisons to Chelsea legend John Terry when he won the Champions League back in 2012.
Karthik didn't take much time before making his feelings known, as he took to his X account to hit back at the two former English players.