Rahul Dravid opens up on Dinesh Karthik's role in Team India; 'With Dinesh, it is clear'

Team India head coach Rahul Dravid has opened up on Dinesh Karthik's role in the national squad, saying that the wicketkeeper-batsman has been brought back to do the job of a finisher. The legendary batsman, while addressing a press conference ahead of the first T20I against South Africa, said the cricketer has proved in the recently-concluded Indian Premier League (IPL) that he can be very effective with the bat towards the backend of a game. The former Team India skipper went on to say that the team expects Karthik to score quick runs in slog overs and replicate his performances from the IPL. 

"With Dinesh (Karthik), it's very obvious and very clear. He has made a comeback on the basis of the skills that he has shown in a particular phase of the game. At the back end, he has really been able to be a point of difference in whichever teams he has played. That's why he has been picked, he has been picked to bat in that kind of position and see if he can replicate those kind of performances for India as well," Dravid said. 

Karthik impressed one and all with his explosive performances with the bat in the most recent season of the IPL. The Tamil Nadu athlete played some match-winning knocks for his side, Royal Challengers Bangalore while coming to bat in the death overs. The 37-year-old played a total of 16 matches in IPL 2022 and amassed 330 runs with an incredible strike rate of 183. Thanks to his exploits with the bat, Karthik was named in the 18-member squad for the upcoming five-match T20I series against South Africa. 

India vs South Africa

The five-match series between India and South Africa is slated to begin on June 9. The first match will be played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi, followed by one game each in Cuttack, Vizag, Rajkot, and Bengaluru. 

India’s T20I squad: KL Rahul (Captain), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan, Deepak Hooda, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant (vice-captain)(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.

South Africa's T20I squad: Temba Bavuma (C), Quinton de Kock (wk), Reeza Hendricks, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Wayne Parnell, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs, Rassie van der Dussen and Marco Jansen.