Reports: Dinesh Karthik and KL Rahul likely to be dropped from ODI and T20I squads

The selection panel led by MSK Prasad will soon sit together to contemplate on the ODI and T20I squads for the upcoming series. Team India will be playing three ODIs against Australia and then travel to New Zealand for five One-Day Internationals and three T20Is. There is also a possibility that the selectors might pick the players certain for World Cup now and drop others.

According to the reports in Mumbai Mirror, Rishabh Pant is all but certain to be picked for the showpiece event in England next year while the other wicket-keeper Dinesh Karthik will be left out now. Pant will most probably be the backup for MS Dhoni during the event even as KL Rahul also is likely to be axed following an extended poor run of form in the ongoing Test series.

Why Pant?

Rishabh Pant has consistently got the backing from the team management while Dinesh Karthik botched up golden opportunities to seal his place in the side during the Asia Cup earlier this year. The same is the case with KL Rahul who couldn’t impress in both the formats despite getting chances in the absence of Virat Kohli.

Kohli also gave up his number three spot in the shortest format for him but Rahul couldn’t convert his IPL form at the highest level. Having said that, Karthik hasn’t done much wrong in the T20Is scoring some important runs and finishing the matches expertly.

Actually, it will be surprising if he is axed from T20Is given that the World Cup is set to take place in 2020 in Australia. Karthik resurrected his career with a match-winning blitz against Bangladesh in the final of Nidahas Trophy in March and since then has been part of the side on a consistent basis.

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