Rahul 1st-choice keeper for WC: Karthik

Chennai: The prolonged absence of a tragically injured Rishabh Pant has left a gaping hole in the wicketkeeper-batter slot for the Indian team, both in red-ball and white-ball cricket. With Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson part of the squad for the West Indies tour, many expect one of the two to be chosen as the designated keeper for the upcoming ODI World Cup. But their predecessor Dinesh Karthik believes KL Rahul, who is yet to recover fully from his thigh injury, is the front-runner for the job. Speaking at an event to launch Parimatch Sports’ new sportswear line inspired by him at a city hotel here on Saturday, Karthik said: “It’s going to be a toss-up between Ishan, KL and Sanju. We are hearing that KL should be fit for the Asia Cup. He (KL Rahul) is the front-runner, because he has been part of the Indian team batting at No. 5, followed by Sanju and Ishan if they do something special in the next three months.”Karthik added allrounder Washington Sundar has an “outside chance” of making it to the XI for the World Cup. “We have a set of cricketers who can do special things for the team. How we gel as a unit and get the most forceful team onto the park is going to be the biggest challenge. Knowing Team India under Rohit (Sharma) and Rahul (Dravid), they’ll have all the ideas up their sleeve and they’ll be hoping to make a mark at this World Cup,” the veteran India wicketkeeper said.‘Hope Ashwin is made captain for Asian Games team’: Saying that Ashwin has “earned the right” to lead Team India on the basis of his achievements, Karthik said he hopes and wishes for Ashwin to be made skipper of the team that is picked for the Asian Games in September. He added: “Ashwin is arguably one of the greatest ever to have played the game. If India is going to send a ‘B team’ for this Asian Games because the main team will be preparing for the World Cup, and if they feel Ashwin is not part of the ODI setup, I really hope and wish that they make him the captain because he deserves it.”‘Keen to play Vijay Hazare Trophy for TN’: Karthik also said he is keen to represent Tamil Nadu in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, which is slated in November after the World Cup, and that he will inform the selectors that he is available for the tournament. The 38-year-old from Chennai added that he wanted to play the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy too to stake his claim for the next IPL season, but he won’t be able to as it will clash with the World Cup where Karthik will likely be part of the broadcasting team.
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