"He's made a comeback based on his skills" - Dravid reveals why Dinesh Karthik has selected for SA series

For the first time since the end of the IPL 2022 on May 29, Indian players will be back in action. Before reuniting in New Delhi for the series opener at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Thursday, the players were given a short break . KL Rahul will captain the side against Temba Bavuma's men in Rohit's absence.

Karthik was chosen for the Indian team based on his performance as a finisher for RCB, according to Dravid. "It's quite evident, Dinesh... He has clearly made a comeback based on the talents he has demonstrated in a specific phase of the game. Dinesh has been able to demonstrate tremendous stability in that backend for the past 2-3 years. He has the ability to make a difference in each team he has played for, which is why he has been selected "In his pre-match press conference on Tuesday, Dravid stated.

Karthik has 330 runs in 16 matches for RCB this season, with a strike rate of 183. In the last five overs of the innings, he was at his most lethal. The majority of his 22 sixes came in the closing overs of the competition, and Dravid is hoping that the 92 ODI and 32 T20I veteran can repeat that feat for India.

Karthik spent approximately 15 minutes on Monday, during India's first practice session ahead of the South Africa series, perfecting the ramp shot, the flick, and the scoop against India's throwdown experts. He even requested them to alter their lengths so that he would have trouble lining them up.

On Thursday, India will face South Africa in the first T20I in Delhi, before heading to Cuttack for the second match on Sunday (June 12). Vizag, Rajkot, and Bengaluru will host the next three matches, respectively. India presently has an 11-match winning streak in T20Is and will look to extend that trend on Thursday.