Hyderabad, May 22 (IANS) Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batting coach and mentor Dinesh Karthik said the team remains hungry for improvement despite already qualifying for the IPL 2026 playoffs, stressing that momentum heading into the knockout stage remains crucial ahead of Friday’s final league clash against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).

While RCB have already booked a playoff berth, Karthik said the fixture still carries major importance because of the momentum factor heading into the Qualifier.

“Look, I know we have qualified for the playoffs. We can take it easily. But I think it’s as important as any other game for us. Because if we win this one, we’ll go with the momentum in the first qualifiers. SRH is a solid team. And that’s the reason why they are in the top three. And they’ve played some wonderful cricket," Karthik said in a video released by RCB on X.

“It’s two good teams going up against each other. And we’ll try to put our best foot forward. And we’re trying to do everything we can to make sure that we compete and cross the line,” he added.

RCB have enjoyed a strong campaign with both bat and ball this season and are firmly in contention for a top-two finish. They are placed at the number one spot with 18 points in 13 matches. However, Karthik insisted the squad is not prepared to become complacent.

“I think it’s been a terrific campaign with the ball and bat. I personally don’t want to feel like everything is great; it’s just a mindset of mine. I just feel you need to keep wanting some more even though there’s very little part of the tournament left,” Karthik said.

“That hunger is important for you to keep moving forward, and I couldn’t have asked anything more in terms of character that they’ve shown, and that pretty much says everything you need to know about the current RCB team,” he added.

The former India wicketkeeper-batter highlighted the collective mentality within the squad and said every player has been striving to improve specific areas of their game throughout the season.

“There’s always room for improvement, whether it’s bowling, batting, or fielding. I don’t think this team is any different, and you can see with the mindset the players seem to have.

“Each have come with a plan to work on a certain specific thing and try to make sure that they’re better. There are conversations, there’s a collective effort in trying to play another good game of cricket,” he added.

--IANS

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