“Hello comeback king” - Twitterati hail Dinesh Karthik as keeper-batter returns to Indian team after 3 years

Veteran wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik made a much-hyped return to the Indian team as he was included in the playing XI for the 1st T20I against South Africa in Delhi on Thursday (June 9).

The 37-year-old last represented India at the 2019 World Cup and was dropped from the team following the Men in Blue’s loss to New Zealand in the semi-finals of the ICC event.

Karthik has forced his way back into the team on the back of a sensational IPL 2022 season for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). Playing the finisher’s role for the franchise, the veteran batter clobbered 330 runs in 16 matches at an average of 55 and a superb strike rate of 183.33.

Following his exploits, Dinesh Karthik was named in the Indian squad for the five-match T20I series against the Proteas.

Fans were thrilled with the Tamil Nadu batter's return to the Indian team after a gap of three years and wished him good luck. Here are some reactions shared for the cricketer on Twitter:

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“He has been a point of difference for whichever team that he has played” - Rahul Dravid on Dinesh Karthik

Speaking ahead of the T20I series against South Africa, Indian cricket team head coach Rahul Dravid admitted that Karthik's performance with the willow against the Proteas would be observed closely.

Sharing his views on the keeper-batter in the pre-match press conference, he had opined:

"With Dinesh it is pretty obvious and very clear. He has made a comeback based on the skills that he has shown in a particular phase of the game. The phase of the game that Dinesh, at the back-end, has really been able to show skills over the last two or three years, he has been able to be a point of difference for whichever team that he has played.”

Dravid added:

"I see that as no different (in Team India). That's why he has been picked. He has been picked to bat in that kind of position, and see whether he can replicate those kind of performance for India as well."

Ahead of the Delhi T20I, Dinesh Karthik has scored 399 runs in 33 T20Is at a strike rate of 143.52.