Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Rajat Patidar. (ANI photo)

Bengaluru: From being one of Royal Challengers Bangalore’s most reliable finishers to becoming a key figure in the backroom setup of the defending IPL champions, Dinesh Karthik has followed the development of the franchise closely.In a freewheeling interview with TOI, the 40-year-old RCB mentor and batting coach talked about the emergence of the captain, the champion mentality within the team. Rajat Patidar As a calm leader, and coaching international stars. Part:Mentality of the team defending the titleAt the beginning, each player was given a structure explaining what they should do. In terms of results, there were going to be ups and downs, so the main thing was to make sure that the things we were good at we did very well and the things we could have done better. We’re constantly focusing on it and getting better at it and it’s a good way to look at this tournament. It is a long tournament and it is important to stay fresh.Patidar’s evolution as a captainIt was heartening to see him remain the same person: cool, calm and relaxed on and off the field. As a leader, he has handled the pressure well without showing it, which is commendable.He is still the same person he was before becoming captain, which says a lot about him. I have played with him and I have a good relationship. Seeing him succeed as both a batsman and captain makes me feel very proud.coming of age Devdutt PadikkalHe was always an exceptional batsman for Karnataka and across all formats. But in the IPL, I think he wanted to change some areas of his game, which he addressed immediately, and we as a group were quite happy to help and you can see the results on the field, the confidence and the way he is batting. It’s always a good sign when a young guy like him understands what it takes to take his game to the next level and he asks for suggestions and opinions, but he does it in his own way. He is a strong man. I believe he is a fantastic talent and it is great to see that talent become something very special to the team.On the difference between coaching Indian and international playersYou have to adjust to international players in a different way. For example, Tim David is very different from Romario Shepherd, so you need to understand both of them and where they are coming from. They are very independent people, so you have to see what works for them, and sometimes less can be more, and I try to say very little if I don’t need to interact too much. I’ve learned a lot from Andy (Flowers) and Mo (Bobutt) about how they handle different players and their character traits. They are very different from what I have had with Indian players, but full of respect.On being named among the best coaches by Phil SaltPhil has obviously traveled the world and worked with many coaches. It was nice to see him admit that what I said helped him. My role was to understand what Phil was doing and help him raise his game. He was willing to discuss areas for improvement, which empowered me to provide useful feedback. Such open relationships with foreign players are always beneficial. Your interactions with the players on the bench. Being in the top 11 or 12 of the IPL doesn’t define you as a player. It’s all about team combination; If you’re not into it, it doesn’t make you less valuable. Avoid thinking too much about your selection situation.On preparing finishersThe role of finisher is a specific role. It is difficult because you do not have to face as many balls as the top-order batsmen. Therefore, you have to understand what it means to perform well and accept some of the ways you can get the best out of it. It is very important to be a good finisher because in most of the innings you play, you are taking a lot of risk. So you have to be very aware of what success means, being a finisher and how confusing failures can really be sometimes. The challenge is to understand and treat both of them equally. Also, the way you practice and prepare for the game is extremely important.