#1 Dinesh Karthik
Dinesh Karthik made his international debut in 2004 and remains a regular player on sporadic occasions. Rising through the ranks, Karthik caught the eyes of selectors with his phenomenal performances in both domestic and international stages as a specialist batsman when other players were rested or injured, or as a wicket-keeper when Dhoni was sidelined.
With a career full of ups and downs, Karthik continues to fight for a place in the playing XI, and his match-winning knock of an unbeaten 29 off 8 balls in the final of the Nidahas Trophy against Bangladesh earlier this year made him a heartthrob among Indian fans worldwide.
With him being in the form of his life, Dinesh Karthik remains the numero uno choice as the backup wicketkeeper for the World Cup in 2019. He has shown striking similarities to MS Dhoni as a calm-composed batsman who can finish the game at any given point of the match, and his achievements and accolades as a player and a captain are more than enough to make him the perfect replacement to the former Indian captain.
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