Mumbai, Apr 17 (JANS): Indian cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar has appreciated the valiant efforts of Royal Challengers Bangalore's wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik, who again came up with a match-winning unbeaten 66 against Delhi Capitals at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday night.

The 36-year-old Karthik has provided the momentum shift to the Faf du Plessis-led RCB in almost every match they have played this season, managing to rack up scores of 32 not out, 14 not out, 44 not out, 7 not out, 34 and the unbeaten 66 that took RCB to an imposing 189/5 against Delhi Capitals on Sunday.

Karthik's 34-ball knock was the key to RCB's 16-run victory against the Delhi franchise, and saw the Bengaluru team jump to third spot on the points table. Karthik's strike rate, which has hovered around 215, has become the talking point in cricketing circles and there are calls for him to be included in the India team for the ICC T20 World Cup in Australia later this year.

Coming from a desperate last three years where runs were difficult to come by for him, this has been a breath of fresh air for the hard-hitting Karthik as he continues to wreck bowlers with his phenomenal might.

"RCB have a dangerous player in the lower-order in Dinesh Karthik. Karthik has the ability to play 360 degrees, be it against a spinner or a fast bowler. When he started attacking, he literally did it from the first ball. And it doesn't look as if he had made up his mind early that 'I will hit this ball towards midwicket or above covers'.

"He looks at the ball and hits it; and the speed at which he is picking the line and length, very few batters in world cricket can read line and length quicker than DK," opined Tendulkar.

Karthik took to social media to express his appreciation at Tendulkar's words of encouragement.

"That feeling of being on cloud 9 when the G.O.A.T of cricket appreciates you," wrote Karthik on twitter.