Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batting coach and mentor Dinesh Karthik said the team remains hungry for improvement despite already qualifying for the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) playoffs, stressing that momentum heading into the knockout stage is crucial ahead of Friday’s final league clash against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).
Although RCB have already secured a playoff berth, Karthik said the fixture still carries major importance because of the momentum factor going into the Qualifier.
IPL 2026 | Schedule | Results | Orange Cap | Purple Cap
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No room for complacency as the boys trained hard for two full days ahead of our final league stage match against SRH. 💪👏
This is @bigbasket_com… pic.twitter.com/Wbi6DgOuO4
— Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) May 22, 2026
“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. We’re trying to do everything we can to make sure that we compete and cross the line,” he added.
RCB’s ‘Terrific’ IPL 2026
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 currently in first place with 18 points from 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 the 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 it with the mindset the players seem to have.
“Each has 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.
(With inputs from Agencies)
