T20 World Cup 2022: Chance to recreate history for Karthik and Rohit as India gear up for tournament

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T20 World Cup 2022: Time for another T20 World Cup is approaching fast and fans are eagerly waiting for their teams to go all out in the 2022 edition of the T20 World Cup down under. With seven teams listing their squads, the bells of excitement for the World Cup have already begun to ring. The Indian team has also named its squad to present the nation's challenge for the World Cup.

The team has one more exciting fact from the 2007 team that lifted the trophy in the inaugural edition of the T20 World Cup. Out of the 15 men, only skipper Rohit Sharma and wicket-keeper batter Dinesh Karthik are the players who have earlier got their hands on the fabled trophy in 2007 and now stand another chance to achieve the glory. 

Karthik and Rohit were included in the team that saw the experienced players pulling out of the T20 tournament in 2007. Both donned the blue jersey in the T20 World Cup and Rohit Sharma played a brilliant knock in a crucial match against South Africa and a cameo in the final against Pakistan.

Since then, the duo has stood up for the team on many occasions. Rohit has had an illustrious International career, initially batting in the lower middle order and later receiving a promotion to open the innings. Karthik was not an automatic pick in the team and has had to wait for the opportunities to come. 

Rohit has played most T20I matches in the world- 136 where he has amassed 3620 runs while Karthik has appeared in 50 T20I outings, scoring 592 runs.

Rohit Sharma in T20Is

Dinesh Karthik in T20Is

One year back, Karthik was probably out of the equation to be picked even for the national side. He did a commentary stint when he was not playing last year but he always had a desire to make a comeback. Before IPL 2022, Karthik last played for India in February 2019. But his recent performances in the IPL 2022 have provided him with his dream comeback to the team. 

For a few years, Karthik has played a new role- a finisher for the team. On various occasions, both Internationally and in the IPL, the right-handed batter has shown enough strength and skills in pressure-cooker situations and has helped his team cross the line.

This comeback means a lot to the Chennai-born man. After he got selected for the T20 World Cup squad, Karthik shared a tweet to express his emotions about representing India only for the third time in a T20 World Cup. Notably, Karthik has appeared only in two T20 World Cups- 2007 and 2010.

The 37-year-old still has it in him to upset the opposition but as he is only growing older, this might be his last dance in the shortest format of the World Cup before he hangs his boots later when he thinks. 

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Rohit is currently 35 in age, and a 2024 T20 World Cup might well be in his sights but the hitman would want India to reign the world again in the shortest format this year itself. He has also been handed extra duty this time to lead India's charge in the marquee tournament. With the World Cup coming in about a month, Rohit and Co. will have to give it everything to emerge victorious in front of an ever-exuberant Australian crowd.