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Cricket PlayersShould Karthik play in India vs Pakistan Asia Cup match? Ex-PAK captain's blunt verdict: 'I think his strike rate is...'
The former Pakistan skipper had a no-nonsense verdict on whether Dinesh Karthik should feature in the blockbuster Asia Cup clash on Sunday.
Team India will return to action in the shortest format of the game on Sunday when it takes on arch-rivals Pakistan in a blockbuster clash in men's Asia Cup 2022. This will be their first encounter since the last year's T20 World Cup, where Babar Azam's men had cruised to a 10-wicket win in Dubai. Incidentally, the Asia Cup match also takes place at the same venue. Since the dismal World Cup campaign in 2021, Team India saw a plethora of changes including a captaincy switch from Virat Kohli to Rohit Sharma, and the emergence of multiple young pacers, among others.
Earlier this year, two of India's leading players over the past few years, Hardik Pandya and Dinesh Karthik made a comeback to the team. Hardik was the part of the T20 World Cup squad last year but his injury issues had hampered the all-rounder's performances. Karthik, meanwhile, had last played for India in the 2019 World Cup. Both players made a return to the national team on the back of consistent performances in the Indian Premier League this year.
While Hardik has cemented his spot in the side as a fast-bowling all-rounder, Karthik has also produced impressive performances in the finishing role for India since his return to the side. But come August 28, the Indian team management might be scratching their heads on the team combination for the game against Pakistan. With batters like Virat Kohli, Deepak Hooda, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, and wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant in the squad, the management will have to take a decision over Karthik's place in the XI.
When former Pakistan captain Salman Butt was asked whether the veteran wicketkeeper-batter would retain his place in the side, however, he said he sees no reason why he shouldn't.
“Yes, he should definitely play. He's producing top performances, he finishes the innings so well. He plays at a top-class strike rate. I think his strike rate is among the top 3-4 batters in the world at his position. He is fit, he is performing. There is no reason why he shouldn't play,” Butt said on his official YouTube channel.
Since his return to the side in June earlier this year, Karthik has appeared in all of the side's T20I matches against South Africa (home), England, and West Indies (both away). However, a number of first-team stars including Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli had rested for the South Africa series, while the latter was also given rest for the Windies tour. In addition, KL Rahul, who recently made a return to the national team against Zimbabwe, had remained absent in all the three series.
