Karthik replaces injured Pandey in Champions Trophy squad

Senior Tamil Nadu wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik on Thursday earned a recall to the Indian team for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy after Manish Pandey was ruled out due to a side strain.

Karthik was one of the five stand-byes and has been rewarded for his stupendous form in the domestic cricket last season.

• Schedule: ICC Champions Trophy

"The All-India Senior Selection Committee have named middle-order batsman and wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik as the replacement for Manish Pandey, who sustained a left side strain during a practice session, in the India Cricket Team for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy," Board of Control for Cricket in India's acting secretary Amitabh Choudhary said in a media release.

Karthik, who will soon be celebrating his 32nd birthday, scored 607 runs during Tamil Nadu's victorious Vijay Hazare Trophy campaign, including a century in the final. His average was 86 plus and scored the runs at a strike rate of over 100.

He also scored 704 runs in the Ranji Trophy and another 361 runs for Gujarat Lions in IPL-10, capping off a consistent domestic season.

He last played for India against Afghanistan in the 2014 Asia Cup in Bangladesh.

Having played 23 Tests and 71 ODIs for India, Karthik pipped another glovesman Rishabh Pant, who was also a part of the reserves.

Incidentally, Karthik was a part of the Indian team which won the Champions Trophy, back in 2013.

Pandey had suffered a side strain during one of Kolkata Knight Riders' training sessions and was replaced by Ishank Jaggi during their IPL Eliminator match against Sunrisers Hyderabad.

India's squad for Champions Trophy: Virat Kohli (captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (wk), Yuvraj Singh, Kedar Jadhav, Hardik Pandya, R Ashwin, R Jadeja, Mohd. Shami, Umesh Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah and Dinesh Karthik.

Image: Dinesh Karthik in action for Gujarat Lions.

Photograph: BCCI