'Same Fan Will Silently Abuse me in DMs': Dinesh Karthik Reveals Ugly Side of 'Incredibly Loyal' RCB Fans

Dinesh Karthik has represented as many as six IPL franchises over the course of his career but feels that the fanbase of Royal Challengers Bengaluru is unmatched, terming them ‘incredible’.

However, there’s an ugly side to it too, Karthik revealed during a chat with his Ravichandran Ashwin.

When the performance is not up to the mark, Karthik says, the fans aren’t averse to abusing the same player whom they may have backed passionately before.

“RCB fans are loyalists,” Karthik told Ashwin on the latter’s YouTube channel. “They are actually family, and I say that in good and bad ways. The good way is that when you go, no matter what happens, if I walk in, they will cheer my name and make me feel like I’m the greatest player on Earth. What I mean by that is that to the outside world, they will never give up on you. If there is a fight between say you know some team and they say, ‘Oh! X is not a good player’ they will pounce on that person.”

Karthik said the abuse isn’t limited to the player and the fans end up dragging their families into it as well.

“On a personal level, that same fan will abuse me silently in DMs every day, rather than on a one-on-one note. He will go hard at me if I don’t do well for RCB; he will smash me, not just me, my family, and whoever is possible in my life. But to the outside world, They will not give up an RCB player,” Karthik said.

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Since the IPL got underway in 2008, Karthik has played for the likes of Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals), Mumbai Indians, Kolkata Knight Riders, Kings XI Punjab, Gujarat Lions (now defunct) besides RCB.

“…what a fan base they (RCB) have for a team that has been competing for 16 years! unreal fan base that they have, as I said. I’ve been part of many teams. You know all of them have fans, but RCB is incredible,” Karthik said.