'Thanks for helping me achieve my dream' - Dinesh Karthik pens heartfelt note for RCB fans post T20 World Cup selection

The Board of Control for Cricket in India announced a 15-member squad for the upcoming 2022 T20 World Cup on Monday (September 12). As expected, star pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Harshal Patel came back in the all-important squad after their respective injuries and Axar Patel came in for injured all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja.

The biggest anticipation for the fans was will the wicketkeeping duo of Rishabh Pant and Dinesh Karthik who will be going to Australia this time. Karthik didn't get a chance to show his finishing skills in the Asia Cup tournament and Pant struggled to score big with just 51 runs in four matches. But both the players are named in the World Cup squad ahead of the likes of Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan.

Karthik, who was sensational in the Indian Premier League 2022 (IPL), returned to the national team setup after a gap of almost three years. He continued his IPL form against South Africa in a five-match T20I series at home by smashing 55 and 30* run knocks. But he managed to score only 29 runs in three matches against England and five against Ireland. He also struggled for big knocks on the West Indies tour with 66 runs in four innings but earned a place in Asia Cup and now in the T20 World Cup.

Thanks, RCB for being an integral part of the journey: Dinesh Karthik

The 37-year-old batter smashed 330 runs in 16 IPL matches on his return to Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) the last season. His strike rate of 183.33 was the best among Indian players in IPL 2022 and his ability to finish the games will be crucial for the Indian team in the upcoming World Cup in October-November. He thanked RCB for supporting and helping him achieve his dream with an emotional Tweet post on Wednesday.

"Thanks, RCB for being an integral part of the journey and helping me achieve my dream. Most importantly to all the RCB fans who chant RCB, RCB even when am in my blues representing team INDIA , I LOVE YOU GUYS. THANKS @malolanr @CoachHesson SANJAY BANGAR @basu2013 S SRIRAM," Dinesh Karthin tweeted.