SEE: How Karthik's wife inspired him during lockdown

If KKR wins the IPL, it will dedicate the trophy to the people of Bengal currently battling COVID-19 and the aftermath of cyclone Amphan.

IMAGE: Dipika Pallikal and Dinesh Karthik. Photograph and video: Kind courtesy Dinesh Karthik/Instagram

Kolkata Knight Riders Captain Dinesh Karthik says dealing with the the uncertainty of not knowing when he will play cricket next made him feel disoriented during the COVID-19 enforced lockdown.

'In the lockdown, initially, I was happy to train, I was happy to be at home doing stuff, but it got (extended) 2, then 3 and 4 weeks, I was kind of disoriented. I don't know when my next cricket game is, what am I training for, it was boring at times,' Karthik tells Star Sports's Cricket Connected show.

Luckily, the 35 year old had wife Dipika Pallikal, the international squash player, also dealing with the situation and he drew inspiration from her.

'I see this person who is playing an individual sport, go and push herself every day. Same situation, she doesn't know when the next tournament is. I have a feeling cricket will probably start before squash,' says DK, 'but she is still training like this without any game around the corner.'

DK says the proposed ban on saliva when cricket resumes post COVID-19 will be a massive challenge for the bowlers in the longest format.

'In ODIs and Twenty20, it won't make much of a difference, but definitely in Tests, it is going to be a massive challenge,' he says. 'It will be tough especially for the bowlers, because when the ball is new for the first 20 to 30 overs, in most grounds in the world, conventional swing is what they look for.'

'And if you don't apply saliva, it''s going to be a tough ask for them to swing the ball.'

Karthik says it will take at least four weeks for players to reach match fitness and one must not rush into training.

'It will take at least 4 weeks, specially for the fast bowlers because they are coming off a very quite time, to go and start bowling 140 to 150 clicks through the day, at different points of the day when the heat will vary, it's going to be a good challenge for them, a massive challenge for them,' he points out.

KKR, the skipper asserts, is keen to win the Indian Premier League. If it happens, he says, the team will dedicate the IPL trophy to the people of Bengal currently facing the twin crisis of COVID-19 and the aftermath of cyclone Amphan.

'We are definitely emotionally very attached to Kolkata. They are really proud of us. The state has gone through a lot in the last couple of months. So winning the IPL is the least we can do for the state,' Karthik says on the sidelines of the launch of KKR's Sahayata Vahan initiative, which will help distribute essential kits to people affected from COVID-19 and the cyclone across multiple locations in Bengal.

There is speculation that the BCCI wants to hold the indefinitely postponed IPL in October if the T20 World Cup in Australia doesn't go ahead as per schedule.

Asked whether dew would be a problem if the IPL was held in October, Karthik says the teams would cross that bridge when it comes to it, but two-time champions KKR will be prepared.

'Even if the IPL happens, is it going to be like the home and away basis or it''s going to be held in one centre. There are a lot of variables to this. Even when we play in April-May, I can tell you that Kolkata has a strong amount of dew so teams like to chase,' he says.

'It might me a little more (in October), but one of the things that we will do in practice is to make sure that we do our best and practice with a wet ball as well.'