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

Despite having played for up to six IPL teams during his career, Dinesh Karthik believes that Royal Challengers Bengaluru's support base is unparalled and calls them "incredible."

But Karthik also disclosed a negative aspect of it in a conversation with his fellow mate Ravichandran Ashwin.

According to Karthik, when a player doesn't perform well, the supporters won't hesitate to abuse someone they may have previously supported passionately.

RCB fans are loyalists,” Karthik told Ashwin on the latter’s YouTube channel. “They are 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, 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 highly ferocious with some fans

Karthik stated that the fans not only abuse them but also draw their family into the harassment.

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

In addition to RCB, Karthik has played for the Delhi Daredevils (now the Delhi Capitals), Mumbai Indians, Kolkata Knight Riders, Kings XI Punjab, and the defunct Gujarat Lions since the IPL began in 2008.

…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