“This is the age when you do something passionately but do not think about what the result will be.”
Vipin Vats minces no words when he recalls the tumultuous journey of his ward Kartik Tyagi.
Praveen Kumar, Sudeep Tyagi and Bhuvneshwar Kumar had already made the journey from his stable to the national team, so by the time Karthik came under his tutelage, Vats knew a thing or two about producing good fast bowlers for international cricket.
Karthik was determined to follow the path of his predecessors. He played for India Under-19 and was then signed by Rajasthan Royals for the IPL 2020 season. Karthik got invaluable time in the Indian team as a net bowler due to the injury crisis during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in 2020-21.
Kartik Tyagi (standing centre) is seen during the Indian team’s celebration after their historic win over Australia at the Gabba on January 19, 2021. Photo Credit: Getty Images
Kartik Tyagi (standing centre) is seen during the Indian team’s celebration after their historic win over Australia at the Gabba on January 19, 2021. Photo Credit: Getty Images
According to Vats, Karthik was gifted with a lean physique and quick arm speed, which set him apart from the rest, earning a reputation for troubling batsmen with fast pace and bounce. However, in the background, concerns were also looming over Karthik continuing to battle injuries.
Vats says, “What happened was that he was putting too much load on his body at a time when his muscles were still developing and were not ready for that level of intensity. So, we made him realize that he needed to progress gradually. He was barely 20 years old when he went to the IPL. So obviously, he would not be able to perform like a 27-28-year-old player who is at the peak of his abilities.”
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Karthik would sometimes reach speeds of 150 kmph, yet playing time in the IPL was limited. Until 2024, recurring shin sprains and stress injuries restricted him. He was with Gujarat Titans that season and played just once. Vats says, “This is a delicate age where you make decisions without adequate thought or without understanding the consequences. And that’s what happened; he got injured, and he couldn’t do anything except sit out and recover.”
This was a signal for Karthik to mend his ways and reinvent himself. Karthik withdrew his name from IPL 2025 and contacted Ashish Kaushik at Yos Sports Health, who previously worked as the head physiotherapist at BCCI’s National Cricket Academy (now Center of Excellence) and helped him in the Under-19 circuit.
The root cause of both the calf sprain and back strain was Karthik’s lifting of weight till the crease.
Clinical care was offered for a period of time, aimed at healing his bones, but a large part of the treatment was to correct his running technique, which was causing fatigue. “Worked on energy efficiency and finding a way to move her weight more fluidly and ultimately reduce stress. We got a lot of positives from those changes.
“This went on for a few weeks; there was a lot of back and forth. When you’re out for a long period of time, doubt can creep in among young players. They need constant guidance to stay on track so old habits don’t creep back in and they can stick to the plan,” Kaushik said.
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Even Vatsa’s message to Karthik, whom he looked up to since he was seven years old, was simple. “There are bad times in a player’s career. Ups and downs are a part. You have to fight your bad days. Every day is not Sunday; you have to wait for seven days. Sachin and Kohli, all great players, have had bad periods; they just keep working on their game and improving,” he used to tell Karthik.
By December 2025, Kartik had returned to domestic work. He played three matches each for Uttar Pradesh in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy. Returns were modest, but momentum was back. It also convinced the selectors to give him a chance in a first-class match, his first since January 2024.
This was enough to convince Kolkata Knight Riders to sign the 25-year-old, and Karthik has repaid the faith by taking 16 wickets in 12 matches, his best season since taking nine wickets in his debut year in 2020.
“Now he is not pushing himself beyond his limits, and the results are for everyone to see. Before the IPL, he even came to me and said, ‘Your words came into the society a little late. (It took me a while to understand what you meant)”, says Vatsa.
During the IPL this year, many commentators, including Dale Steyn, highlighted small changes in his release point and final load-up at the popping crease. But Vatsa placed them as essential embellishments that are necessary to develop one’s skills.
” Next time you will see more changes. Now I don’t know what to do, but you will see.S. (The next time you see him on TV, you’ll see even more changes. I won’t tell you what right now, but wait and see). He is doing well at the moment; “He is getting good performance, so we will try to make him better,” says Vats.
It has been five years since his disciple knocked on the door of the Indian team. He says, with new confidence under his wings, Karthik is now ready to slay it.
Published on May 18, 2026
