The Indian T20I team combination has seen a clear trait in recent matches. Veteran Dinesh Karthik is more favored over Rishabh Pant in the role of the wicketkeeper batter. Karthik’s ability as a finisher in the number 6 position seems to work in his favor. However, Pant brings his left-handed punch to the table – a quality that is important for Team India, especially after Ravindra Jadeja was banned from the T20 World Cup in Australia.
India is South Africa in a series of three T20I starting Wednesday. It will be their last series before next month’s T20 World Cup. Ex-BCCI selector Saba Karim recently spoke about Dinesh Karthik starting with Rishabh Pant at number six.
“Well, there is always a possibility, but I think the Indian team management has decided to go ahead with Dinesh Karthik, which is not a bad move. They feel they need more of his kind of player at number six who can the finisher role in a much better way because Rishabh Pant in that kind of specific role has not been tried before and places are more or less sorted above that,” said Saba Karim on Sports 18.
“So I have my doubts if Rishabh Pant will take a look, because the Indian team has more or less found the right combination.”
India will kick off their T20 World Cup campaign on October 23 with a game against Pakistan in Melbourne.
promoted
India squad for ICC T20 World Cup: Rohit Sharma (Captain), KL Rahul (Vice Captain), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper), Dinesh Karthik (wicketkeeper), Hardik Pandya, R. Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Arshdeep Singh.
Standby players – Mohd. Shami, Shreyas Iyer, Ravi Bishnoi, Deepak Chahar.
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