Dinesh Karthik shares emotional tweet after Team India recall; 'If you believe yourself..'

The India men’s cricket team will be up against South Africa in a five-match T20I series, which commences on June 9, following the conclusion of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 season. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced an 18-man Indian squad for the 20-over series on Sunday, selected by the All-India Senior Selection Committee. While players like Umran Malik and Arshdeep Singh found themselves in the headlines for receiving a maiden call up to Team India, there was another player, who made headlines for garnering a recall to the team.

The selectors chose 36-year-old Team India veteran Dinesh Karthik as the second wicket-keeper after Rishabh Pant, who has been announced as the vice-captain of the squad. Karthik played his last T20I game against Australia in February 2019 and hasn’t played international cricket since July 2019. He later took to his official Twitter handle to share his emotional thoughts on receiving the Team India recall at the age of 36.

Dinesh Karthik earns Team India spot due to stellar run for RCB

“If you believe yourself, everything will fall into place! Thank you for all the support and belief...the hard work continues…,” Karthik wrote on Twitter. The Team India recall comes for Karthik on the back of the success he has received in the IPL 2022, after joining the Royal Challengers Bangalore squad. His run tally in the ongoing season stands at 287 runs in 14 games at a stunning strike rate of 191.33 and an average of 57.40, with the best knock of 66* runs. Currently, he stands third in RCB’s run-scoring charts behind skipper Faf Du Plessis, Virat Kohli, and ahead of Glenn Maxwell.

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A look at India's squad for the IND vs SA five-match T20I series

Having said that, Karthik’s inclusion in the India squad will provide the team with the much-needed expertise in pressure situations as seniors like skipper Rohit Sharma, Virat, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami have been rested for the series. Allrounder Hardik Pandya has also earned a recall for the first time since the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021. The pace unit will be led by Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who will be accompanied by Harshal Patel, Umran and Arshdeep.

India’s T20I squad for the SA series: 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

(Image: iplt20.com/BCCI)