The All-India Senior Selection Committee on Sunday announced a 18-member squad for the upcoming five-match T20I series against South Africa. Veteran wicket-keeper batter Dinesh Karthik made a comeback to the squad for the first time since the ICC World Cup in 2019.
The 36-year-old has been in superlative form in the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), playing for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). He was designated for the finisher’s role and Karthik passed it with flying colours.
Dinesh Karthik has scored 287 runs in 14 matches so far at an incredible strike rate of 191.33. His performances as a finisher have often bailed RCB out of trouble and has been a major factor in the team clinching the fourth spot on the IPL 2022 points table.
Reacting on his comeback, Karthik – who has been vocal about his desire to represent the national team again – shared an image in an India jersey and wrote, “If you believe yourself, everything will fall into place! Thank you for all the support and belief…the hard work continues…“
If you believe yourself, everything will fall into place! ✨
Thank you for all the support and belief…the hard work continues… pic.twitter.com/YlnaH9YHW1— DK (@DineshKarthik) May 22, 2022
So far, Dinesh Karthik has represented India in 26 Tests, 94 ODIs and 32 T20Is. He has 1025 Test runs, 1752 runs in ODIs and 399 runs in T20Is. The veteran Tamil Nadu-born cricketer will be desperate to make this opportunity count to stake a claim in the T20 World Cup squad. The global T20 event is scheduled to take place in Australia later this year.
Hardik Pandya makes a comeback to the Indian Team
Ace all-rounder Hardik Pandya has also made a comeback to the India team after a long haul. He last played in the T20 World Cup last in the UAE. Hardik returned to competitive cricket in the ongoing edition of the IPL.
He has been in superlative form leading Gujarat Titans from the front. The 28-year-old all-rounder has scored 413 runs at an average of 41.30. He has also picked up four wickets with the ball and has bowled regularly in the tournament.
India squad: KL Rahul (C), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan, Deepak Hooda, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant (VC) (wk), Dinesh Karthik (wk), Hardik Pandya, Venkatesh Iyer, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik
