India's ODI squad for their upcoming three-match series against South Africa features a couple of players who would be making their international debut if taken in the playing eleven. Fast bowler Mukesh Kumar and batter Rajat Patidar have both been included in the side that will be led by Shikhar Dhawan on the back of some eye-catching performances in domestic cricket.
Among those to congratulate them was veteran wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik. Karthik is among the many members of the Indian squad for the T20 World Cup who will not be playing in the series, having himself made an inspiring comeback into international cricket on the back of his extraordinary performances in the 2022 Indian Premier League (IPL).
“So happy to see Rajat patidar there , so deserves this selection. Well done to Mukesh Kumar too. Now Sarfaraz Khan and Indrajith baba into the test scheme of things . Can't ignore such brilliant performers and performances.Theyve just been phenomenal. TALENT APLENTY,” said Karthik in his tweet. The 37-year-old was referring to the performances of Sarfaraz Khan and Baba Indrajith in first class cricket, which has led to them become strong contenders to make Test debuts the next time India play a long-form game.
Mukesh is one of the few players in recent times to have made it to the Indian limited overs squad without ever having played in the IPL. He has taken 113 wickets in 31 first-class matches, including the ongoing Irani Cup game, and has 17 wickets in 18 List A games with an economy rate of 5.17.
{{/usCountry}}Mukesh is one of the few players in recent times to have made it to the Indian limited overs squad without ever having played in the IPL. He has taken 113 wickets in 31 first-class matches, including the ongoing Irani Cup game, and has 17 wickets in 18 List A games with an economy rate of 5.17.
{{/usCountry}}Meanwhile, Patidar set the stage on fire in the 2022 IPL and in the Ranji Trophy thereafter. He scored 333 runs in eight innings for Royal Challengers Bangalore at an average of 55.50 and a strike rate of 152.75. A month later, in June, he scored a hundred in the Ranji Trophy final, helping underdogs Madhya Pradesh upset Mumbai. Patidar's golden run continued last month in the A series against New Zealand, where he top scored for India in the red-ball leg of the tour, with 319 runs in four innings including two centuries and a highest score of 176.