Mumbai: Batsman KL Rahul was Friday recalled for the ODI and T20 home series against Australia but the selectors dropped Dinesh Karthik while picking rookie leg-spinner Mayank Markande as the new face. India will play two T20 games and five ODIs in what will be their last international assignment before the World Cup, which begins in England on May 30.
Rahul fought his way back after a couple of good innings for India A against England Lions in the two unofficial Tests.
The 21-year-old Markande was rewarded soon after his five-wicket haul, which powered India A to an innings and 68-run victory over England Lions in the second unofficial Test which ended Friday.
The omission of Karthik is an indicator as to who among Rishabh Pant and the Tamil Nadu player will board the Heathrow-bound flight as a specialist-batsman-cum-second-wicketkeeper for the World Cup. Pant has found a place in both the squads.
The selectors have rested pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar for the first two ODIS. He has been replaced by Siddharth Kaul. However, Kumar will come back to the side for the remaining three ODIs in place of Kaul
India’s T20 squad: Virat Kohli (captain), Rohit (vice-captain), KL Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, Rishabh Pant, Dinesh Karthik, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (wicket-keeper), Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Vijay Shankar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Umesh Yadav, Sidharth Kaul and Mayank Markande.
Squad for first 2 ODIs: Virat Kohli (captain), Rohit Sharma (vice-captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Ambati Rayudu, Kedar Jadhav, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (wicket-keeper), Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Vijay Shankar, Rishabh Pant, Siddharth Kaul (Bhuvneshwar Kumar for the 3rd, 4th and 5th game), and KL Rahul.
PTI
