KL Rahul returns for Australia series; Karthik dropped

K L Rahul
K L Rahul gets another chance to cement his place in the Indian limited overs team. File photo: AFP

Mumbai: Batsman K L Rahul was on Friday recalled for the One-Day International (ODI) and Twenty20 International (T20I) home series against Australia, but the selectors dropped Dinesh Karthik while picking rookie leg-spinner Mayank Markande as the new face.

India will play two T20s and five ODIs, starting February 24, in what will be their last international assignment before the World Cup, which begins in England and Wales on May 30.

Rahul fought his way back after a couple of good innings for India 'A' against England Lions in the two unofficial Tests, which concluded hours before the national selection committee met here.

Battling indifferent form in Australia, the opener was called back after the unsavoury comments on women in a TV talk show, following which he was asked to regain his form by concentrating on domestic cricket.

The 21-year-old leggie Markande was rewarded soon after his five-wicket haul, which powered India 'A' to an innings and 68-run victory over England Lions in the second unofficial Test.

He has also been a part of the IPL franchise Mumbai Indians.

The omission of Karthik is an indicator as to who among Rishabh Pant and the Tamil Nadu player will board the Heathrow-bound flight as a specialist-batsman-cum-second-wicketkeeper for the World Cup.

Pant has found a place in both the squads.

T20I squad: Virat Kohli (capt), Rohit (vice-capt), K L Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, Rishabh Pant, Dinesh Karthik, M S Dhoni (wk), Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Vijay Shankar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Umesh Yadav, Sidharth Kaul and Mayank Markande.

ODI squad for first two games: Virat Kohli (capt), Rohit Sharma (vice-capt), Shikhar Dhawan, Ambati Rayudu, Kedar Jadhav, M S Dhoni (wk), Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Vijay Shankar, Rishabh Pant, Siddharth Kaul, K L Rahul.

ODI squad for remaining three games: Virat Kohli (capt), Rohit Sharma (vice-capt), Shikhar Dhawan, Ambati Rayudu, Kedar Jadhav, M S Dhoni (wk), Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Vijay Shankar, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant.

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