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'He's been unbelievable. Will put him ahead of everyone including Pant': Harbhajan picks '360-degree' player for T20 WC
T20 World Cup 2022: It's no secret that the Indian team has got a wide pool of talent and new names in the mix makes the competition even stiffer.
Head coach Rahul Dravid and skipper Rohit Sharma are likely going to face a happy selection headache while building the perfect India eleven for the upcoming T20 World Cup in Australia. While some young players have made headlines in the ongoing IPL edition, a couple of veterans have knocked on the door for India comeback. It's no secret that the Indian team has got a wide pool of talent and new names in the mix makes the competition even stiffer. (Follow IPL 2022 Coverage)
Among the seasoned names, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) star Dinesh Karthik has revelled in the role of a finisher, raising his hand for a spot in the Indian team. The former Kolkata Knight Riders skipper has produced effective knocks of 32, 14, 44, 7, 34, 13 and 66 with an astonishing strike rate of 205.88. He's also remained unbeaten in six of the seven innings.
The 36-year-old Karthik last played for India in the heartbreaking semifinal loss to New Zealand in the ICC World Cup in 2019. He is making his bat talk in this year's IPL but can Karthik replace Rishabh Pant in the set-up? Former India tweaker Harbhajan Singh feels Karthik pips everyone including Pant due to his blistering form. Harbhajan, who has played under Karthik during his time at Kolkata Knight Riders, highlighted how the wicketkeeper-batter has elevated his ability to finish games for his side.
“If we have to consider the form and what he's doing for RCB, he has been unbelievable with the bat. He was always a good wicketkeeper. Karthik was an unbelievable keeper from Day 1. He has now donned the role of a finisher with the bat. Last year he was quite off-colour for Kolkata Knight Riders. He didn't score too many runs,” Harbhajan told Sportskeeda.
"He was getting dismissed in a crunch situation but he's now helping Bangalore win from that position. He is winning you games... I will put him ahead of everyone including Rishabh Pant. He should be your first choice going to Australia.
"Fast bowlers will get extra bounce in those conditions. But Karthik is playing 360-degree game at the moment. He's been unstoppable and should be definitely included in India's squad for T20 World Cup. If a player is doing well, he should be brought back into the side, and DK hasn't performed that bad in international cricket. He needs to be provided consistent opportunities with the Indian team. He will score a lot of runs for India," he further added.
Karthik himself had expressed desire to make a return to the national set-up. He is currently using IPL as a platform to claw his way back into the Indian team and win a T20 World Cup title for the country.
"There is a small term goal and there is a big term goal. The small-term goal is to do well for RCB. The big term goal was to play for the country," Karthik recently told Virat Kohli in an interaction.
"I know there is a World Cup round the corner I want to be a part of the World Cup desperately and help India cross the line. It has been a long time since India have won a multi-nation tournament and I want to be that person who is helping India do that for that you need to prepare differently you need to be aware of so many things."
