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India recall cult hero for Australia series

Dinesh Karthik left out as India ponder their best batting options for the World Cup in the UK

Dinesh Karthik's World Cup hopes suffered a blow on Friday after India named Rishabh Pant as the second wicketkeeper for next month's home one-day series against Australia.

With MS Dhoni assured of his place behind the stumps, 33-year-old Karthik has been optimistic of securing a back-up role having also transformed himself into a lower-order batsman who can float in the order.

India, however, opted for 21-year-old Pant, who like Karthik can play as a specialist limited-overs batsman and impressed in India’s historic Test series win in Australia this summer.

Chief selector MSK Prasad said having a left-handed Pant in the middle order suited the team, but added they were yet to decide on the back-up keeper's best position.

"Prior to this, we had series in New Zealand and Australia where Karthik was chosen because Rishabh had played four Test matches," Prasad said.

"We wanted him (Pant) to get a good break... he played a couple of one-day matches against England Lions, in which he did extremely well.

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"Then we sent him to the T20 matches (in New Zealand). We want to give him a few ODIs also before taking a final call."

Like Karthik, spin all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja was also overlooked for the ODI series against the reigning world champions, which is perceived as a dress rehearsal for India's World Cup campaign in England later this year.

The successful wrist spin duo of Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav were the obvious picks for the ODIs and are set to travel to England where the two-time champions begin their World Cup campaign against South Africa on June 5.

Swing bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar will miss the first two matches of the series before returning for the final three, with Siddharth Kaul taking his spot for the early games.

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Opener KL Rahul, despite his struggle for form and provisional suspension for inappropriate comments on a TV chat show, was named both in the one-day and Twenty20 squads.

Captain Virat Kohli, who led India to their first ever Test series victory in Australia and skipped the second half of the limited overs series in New Zealand, returns to lead the side.

India host Australia for Twenty20 matches on February 24 and 27 before the five-match one-day series kicks off in Hyderabad on March 2.

The 2018-19 KFC BBL Final will be on Sunday Feb 17 at 2.45pm AEDT at Marvel Stadium. Tickets on sale here

India ODI squad: Virat Kohli (c), Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Ambati Rayudu, Kedar Jadhav, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (wicketkeeper), Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Vijay Shankar, Rishabh Pant, Lokesh Rahul, Siddharth Kaul (first two matches), Bhuvneshwar Kumar (last three matches)

India Twenty20 squad: Virat Kohli (c), Rohit Sharma, Lokesh Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, Rishabh Pant, Dinesh Karthik, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (wicketkeeper), Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Vijay Shankar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Umesh Yadav, Sidharth Kaul, Mayank Markande

Qantas tour of India

First T20: February 24, Visakhapatnam

Second T20: February 27, Bengaluru

First ODI: March 2, Hyderabad

Second ODI: March 5, Nagpur

Third ODI: March 8, Ranchi

Fourth ODI: March 10, Mohali

Fifth ODI: March 13, Delhi