NEW DELHI:
Yuvraj Singh
has expressed his admiration for
Dinesh Karthik
's performance with
Royal Challengers Bengaluru
in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) season.
However, he believes that the experienced wicketkeeper should only be included in India's squad for the upcoming
T20 World Cup
if he is assured a place in the starting lineup.
"DK (Karthik) has been batting well, but the thing with DK is the last time (2022) they picked him and the T20 WC was on he didn't get to play," Yuvraj said.
Yuvraj emphasized that if Karthik is not going to be a part of the playing XI, there is little point in selecting him for the squad. He pointed out that there are other talented wicketkeepers like
Rishabh Pant
and
Sanju Samson
, who are both in excellent form and are also younger than Karthik.
"If DK is not in your XI I don't think there is any point in picking him. There is Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson and both guys are in great form and obviously they are younger. I would like to see DK in the mix, but if he is not going to play then you would rather have someone who is younger and can make the difference," added the former T20 World Cup winner.
Dinesh Karthik has been in impressive form in the ongoing IPL 2024 season. Despite batting lower down the order for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, he has scored 262 runs in nine matches. As a result, his significant contributions have sparked discussions about his potential inclusion in India's squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup.
Yuvraj, also the winner of the ICC World Cup 2011, has been appointed as an ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 Ambassador. With only 36 days left until the start of the prestigious tournament, Yuvraj's appointment comes as a celebration of his remarkable achievement of hitting six sixes in an over during India's triumphant campaign in the 2007 Men's T20 World Cup.
Yuvraj has joined Chris Gayle and eight-time Olympic Gold Medallist Usain Bolt as the first ambassadors to be revealed for the tournament.
As part of his role, Yuvraj will be involved in various promotional events across the United States in the lead-up to and during the T20 World Cup. One of the highly anticipated matches he will be promoting is the clash between India and Pakistan, scheduled to take place in New York on June 9th.
(Inputs from agencies)