Leg and off: Should India pick Dinesh Karthik for the T20 World Cup?

Another T20 World Cup is fast arriving and so right on cue, the Dinesh Karthik force has picked up steam, thanks to his incredible showing so far in IPL 2024.

Rewind to the same time two years back, and the veteran wicket-keeper batter took the IPL 2022 universe by storm with an average of 55 and a strike rate of 183.33 to barge his way back into the Indian T20I side. It was after a three-year absence from the national side and Karthik played the matches leading up to the 2022 T20 World Cup and in the tournament itself.

However, the 38-year-old could not replicate his IPL form as India lost in the semi-final to England and returned empty-handed. That was also the last of Karthik in the Indian Blue.

Fast forward to the present and the Tamil Nadu-born cricketer is performing even better in IPL 2024 than the 2022 edition, averaging over 75 at a strike rate of 205.45 in seven games for RCB. And, yes, the talks of Dinesh Karthik being back in the Indian side for the T20 World Cup starting right after the IPL have slowly begun to resurface among experts and fans.

Yet, his selection isn't as simple as it appears and involves considering several factors, which we will deep dive into moving forward.

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#1 Who are Dinesh Karthik's competitors and how are they performing?

It is no secret that Dinesh Karthik will be vying for the wicketkeeper spot in an already stacked Indian lineup for the T20 World Cup. The battle for the keeper spot is no different, with almost one player from each of the franchises in the running.

The key names include DC skipper Rishabh Pant, LSG captain KL Rahul, MI opener Ishan Kishan, PBKS' gloveman Jitesh Sharma, and RR skipper Sanju Samson.

For starters, only Jitesh performs a similar role to Karthik, which is donning the gloves and playing the finisher role at Nos. 6 or 7. However, he has been far from impressive except for a few cameos, averaging under 18 at a strike rate of 130.86 in six games.

Meanwhile, Pant has performed admirably on his return to cricket, while batting in the middle order, averaging 32.33 at a strike rate of 157.72 in six games. As for KL Rahul, he has continued to bat in the opening position for Lucknow, averaging 34 at a strike rate of 138.77 in his six games.

Samson has batted at No.3 for RR and impressed with an average of 66 while striking at over 155. Finally, Ishan Kishan has opened the batting for MI and averaged 30.66 with an excellent strike rate of 178.64.

While some of these numbers are outstanding, none come close to Karthik's 75+ average and 205+ strike rate, meaning he gets the nod on pure numbers and his current form as the wicketkeeper.

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#2 Does Dinesh Karthik fit into the Indian T20 World Cup side?

Form and fit must go hand-in-hand when it comes to selection and it warrants an analysis of how the Indian batting order is likely to be for the T20 World Cup to see if Dinesh Karthik meets the requirement.

While a lot could revolve around other selections like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Shivam Dube, among others, it is safe to assume that the top three are pretty much locked up with a variety of options.

Despite limited opportunities in the ongoing IPL, Rinku Singh has done enough in the T20Is played as India's No.6 for the Mega event. It means the wicketkeeper would likely play at No.4 or 5 depending on where Hardik Pandya is slated to bat, assuming India has their spin-bowling all-rounder like Ravindra Jadeja or Axar Patel at No.7.

That leaves Karthilk, Samson, Pant, and Jitesh Sharma as viable options based on the fact Kishan and Rahul have been opening the batting in the IPL.

While Jitesh and Samson have played T20Is for India as recently as the Afghanistan series earlier this year, neither grabbed their opportunities. And the former has also not been at his best in the ongoing IPL.

Although Samson has batted at No.3 for RR, he has shown the requisite skillset to bat in the middle and end overs consistently, much like Pant and Karthik.

So when it comes to fit, going by certain assumptions, India will likely need a wicket-keeper capable of batting at No.4 or 5, leaving Karthik as one of the 3-4 viable options even if it may be a position too high.

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#3 Other Intangible factors

Apart from the obvious, Team India will also have to look at certain intangible and off-field factors before taking the call to select Dinesh Karthik for the T20 World Cup.

How fair will it be for the veteran to leapfrog his other competitors like Samson, Kishan, and Jitesh who have been doing the hard yards since the previous T20 World Cup? Does it also send a message that IPL performances are more valued than those in T20Is?

Karthik is also 38 and has been playing very little cricket, meaning his future after the tournament isn't likely to be much longer.

Does India want to pick him just for the World Cup with the potential of suffering similar consequences as they did in 2022? At least then, Karthik played several T20Is for India before the World Cup. Here it would be a straight jump from the IPL to the World Cup (less than 2 weeks between the two), which leads to questions about him having role clarity and game time with his teammates.

It would be a slap in the face of hierarchal policies for selection and team building strategically and personnel-wise from one World Cup to the next. Hence, the team management must keep in mind all these factors before taking a punt on Dinesh Karthik.

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Should India pick Dinesh Karthik for the T20 World Cup?

So after breaking down all the possible factors that impact Dinesh Karthik's selection for the T20 World Cup, the million-dollar question remains. Should he be picked?

Just as beauty lies in the eye of the beholder, his inclusion in the Indian side will depend on the parameters the team management values the most. If the current form and fit are at the forefront, they should take a chance with the experienced Karthik.

However, if all that they have built by trying the other keeping options over the past 1.5 years gets valued more and a selection hierarchy is followed, the Men in Blue should look past Dinesh Karthik and go with a younger option who has played for India in T20Is more recently.