The last match of the five-match T20 series between Team India and South Africa will be played in Bengaluru on Sunday. This series is being considered very important in terms of the 2022 T20 World Cup. The team has to play 10 more T20 matches in three series before being selected for the T20 World Cup squad, but former player Ashish Nehra feels that Dinesh Karthik has already cemented his place in the team.
Returning to the Indian team after three years on the basis of his excellent performance in IPL 2022, Karthik has scored 92 runs in the series with a strike rate of 158.6 and. He has scored 84 runs in slog overs at a strike rate of 186.7. During this, he has also scored a half-century. He scored 55 runs in 27 balls in the fourth T20 match.
Speaking to Cricbuzz after the Rajkot match on Friday, Nehra heaped praise on the veteran batsman and said that his ability in the slog over can help India chase down the massive 200 target in Australia as well. “He batted at number 6, which I liked. He scored a fifty. His innings was long and he got a chance to bat early in the match. He is a very experienced player that you have picked back in the team.”
Nehra also said, “Yes he scores runs in the last 3-4 overs, but experience means he knows a lot more. The selectors, team management will all be happy. The innings will surely give him confidence as well. You have the experience of Hardik Pandya, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja and then Karthik. He is the kind of player who can help you chase even 200 in Australia.”
When asked whether he has already cemented his place in the T20 World Cup squad? Nehra immediately replied, “He has already booked his place in the T20 World Cup squad. He scored 55 runs at a strike rate of 200. Karthik has also been named in the squad for the upcoming two-match series against Ireland, which will be played later this month.