IND vs SA: He Is Come A Long Way In Such A Short Time- Graeme Smith Selects Two Irreplaceable Players For The T20 World Cup
Published - 21 Jun 2022, 02:46 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:09 AM
Former South Africa skipper Graeme Smith, who had been in India for the whole T20I series, selected two players from the India team on Tuesday.
If not totally, India’s recent five-match home series against South Africa has provided them some insight into their final 15 for the T20 World Cup in 2022.
The South African legend was impressed by Hardik Pandya and Dinesh Karthik, who both returned to the Indian team after a long absence. While the star all-rounder had managed to miss all of India’s games since the 2021 T20 World Cup due to an injury, Karthik pushed his way back into the reckoning with a spectacular performance in IPL 2022 after the last playing for India in the 2019 World Cup.
Hardik managed to score 117 runs in four innings, striking out 153.9 times. He also bowled 5 overs in the series, although without taking a wicket. Karthik, on the other hand, smashed 92 runs in 4 innings at a blistering strike rate of 158.6 with one half-century.
‘DK is experienced with that finishing role’: Graeme Smith
Addressing cricket.com a day after the T20I series, Graeme Smith picked Hardik and Karthik as the two undroppable players for the enormous occasion in Australia in the not-so-distant future.
“Still a ton of cricket to be played so it is challenging to foresee what will occur in the following several months however you will think Hardik and DK are vital to that crew. DK is knowledgeable about that completing job that he has played Hardik has developed a wide margin and is in charge of his game.”
“Intellectually he appears as though he has settled. Furthermore, he is likewise that all-rounder X-Factor that India expects to simply offset the group with him and Jadeja in the crew which opens up a lot of choices. So I can’t see that those two not coming to the World Cup crew,” Graeme Smith said.
India will next play a two-match series against Ireland not long from now before taking on England and West Indies, separately.
