Indian team management deciding to go ahead with Dinesh Karthik is not a bad move: Saba Karim

The debate of who should constitute India’s middle order looks never-ending. Ever since wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik made his way back into the Indian side after a series of impressive performances at the IPL 2022 while representing RCB, the Indian management has tried and tested him and Rishabh Pant in the playing combination, by deploying one and resting the other, or trying both at times.

Many former cricketers and experts have shared their opinion and pitched their views in the ongoing debate, and former India wicket-keeper batter Saba Karim joined the bandwagon. A former national selector of the Indian team, Karim believes that going ahead with Dinesh Karthik in the combination is not a wrong move and that Rishabh Pant finding a place will be difficult.

“There is always a possibility, but I think the Indian team management has decided to go ahead with Dinesh Karthik which is not a bad move. They feel that they need more of his kind of a player at number six who can do the finisher’s role in a much better manner because Rishabh Pant in that kind of particular role has not been tried before and places above that have kind of been sorted. So, I do have my doubts that Rishabh Pant will get a look in because the Indian team has kind of found the right combination,” Karim said speaking on SPORTS18’s daily sports news show ‘SPORTS OVER THE TOP’.

India trying and testing players to find the best combination

In the recent T20I series against Australia, Dinesh Karthik found a place for himself in all three games, whereas Pant was taken in the combination only once, in the second T20I where he did not get an opportunity to bat. Dinesh Karthik was sent up the order, and he finished off India’s chase with a six and a four off the two deliveries that he faced.

India will now face South Africa for three T20Is, starting September 28, and with Hardik Pandya being rested, it would be interesting to see who makes the cut into the team in his absence.