NEW DELHI (TIP): Senior Tamil Nadu wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik on May 18 earned a recall to the Indian team for the upcoming Champions Trophy after Manish Pandey was ruled out due to a side strain.

Karthik was one of the five stand-byes for the Champions Trophy and has been rewarded for his stupendous form in domestic cricket last season.

Karthik, who will soon be celebrating his 32nd birthday, scored 607 runs during Tamil Nadu’s victorious Vijay Hazare Trophy campaign, including a century in the final. His average was 86-plus and scored his runs at a strike rate of over 100.

He also scored 704 runs in the Ranji Trophy and another 361 runs in IPL-10, capping off a consistent domestic season. He last played for India against Afghanistan in the 2014 Asia Cup in Bangladesh.

Having played 23 Tests and 71 ODIs for India, Karthik pipped another glovesman, Rishabh Pant, who was also among the reserves.

Incidentally, Karthik was a part of the Indian team which won the Champions Trophy in 2013. Pandey had suffered a side strain during one of Kolkata Knight Riders’ training sessions and was replaced by Ishank Jaggi for their Eliminator against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Wednesday.

Source: PTI