Karthik slams TN coach for blaming skipper for Ranji Trophy SF loss

New Delhi, March 5 (IANS) India wicketkeeper batter Dinesh Karthik slammed Tamil Nadu coach Sulakshan Kulkarni for blaming skipper R Sai Kishore for their eventual loss to Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy semifinal.

Kulkarni had strongly criticised Kishore's decision of opting to bat first after winning the toss against Mumbai in the second semifinal, saying "we lost the match at 9 o'clock on day one".

"We should have bowled but the captain had some different instinct. Ultimately, he is the boss... (From) 106/7, I knew before the match that this (Mumbai’s fightback) may happen," had said Kulkarni after the loss.

Karthik, visibly upset by Kulkarni's remarks, expressed his disappointment through a social media post. He defended Kishore as captain and said he was let down by the coach's lack of support.

"This is so WRONG. This is so disappointing from the coach... instead of backing the captain who has brought the team to the semis after 7 years and thinking it's a start for good things to happen, the coach has absolutely thrown his captain and team under the bus," said Karthik on X, highlighting the rift within the team.

Mumbai entered the final of the Ranji Trophy for a whopping 48th time after beating Tamil Nadu by an innings and 70 runs inside three days in the second semifinal of the 2023/24 season on Monday. TN, after batting first, could only get 146 runs.

Despite a valiant effort by Tamil Nadu's bowler R Sai Kishore, who claimed a crucial six-wicket haul, Mumbai fought back strongly.

Shardul Thakur's heroic hundred and Tanush Kotian resilient 89 propelled Mumbai to a commanding total of 378 after a shaky start.

In response, Tamil Nadu faltered once again with the bat, collapsing for a mere 162 runs in their second innings, handing Mumbai a resounding victory by an innings and 70 runs.