Indian Cricket Team registered a resounding victory against Zimbabwe. The Men in Blue won the match by 71 runs and by doing that they finished the group stage with 8 points and topped the group. The management took a surprising decision by not including Dinesh Karthik against Zimbabwe.
This decision was a bit surprising as changing the Playing XI at a crucial stage can be risky. The dashing left-handed batter Rishabh Pant had a forgettable outing as he scored 3 runs only from 5 balls.
Virender Sehwag on Dinesh Karthik
Sehwag was seen interacting with Cricbuzz and was asked about Dinesh Karthik. “If you have gambled on Dinesh Karthik for the T20 World Cup, then you’ve got to play him until the end of the tournament. Benching Dinesh Karthik won’t be good for his confidence. He needs some confidence as he hasn’t scored runs so far.”
Dinesh Karthik An Asset
We should not forget that Karthik has been around the team for more than 15 years. He can be the X factor for India in the crunch match. The management’s decision to rest him may be a tactical one as he has been playing a lot of matches for the team.
Head Coach Rahul Dravid and Skipper Rohit Sharma have a task on their hands as playing both Karthik and Pant is not a feasible option; as India doesn’t have a part-time spinner present in the lineup. It won’t be a surprise if Pant is selected ahead of Karthik as Pant can surprise the opponent with his fearless approach.
Also Read: IND vs ENG: “If Rishabh Pant Had Done Well, He Would Have Replaced Dinesh Karthik In Semi-Finals”- Andy Flower