Dinesh Karthik doubtful for Bangladesh game after injury

Dinesh Karthik going off the field [Source: Associated Press]

As per emerging reports, swashbuckling keeper-batter Dinesh Karthik suffered a back injury, which will likely rule him out from India's fourth Super 12 encounter against Bangladesh on Wednesday. 

Notably, Karthik was seen in severe back pain as he left the field at the end of the 15th over of South Africa's innings. In his absence, Rishabh Pant kept wickets in the remaining overs of the game.  

Karthik has had an underwhelming tournament with the bat, managing only seven runs in two outings. He was dismissed for one versus Pakistan while departing for a 15-ball six against South Africa. 

Despite being late in his thirties, Karthik earned a recall into India's T20 World Cup squad following his impressive outings as a finisher in the IPL 2022. However, he has failed to replicate the same level of success in most of his post-comeback appearances. 

If Karthik fails to recover in time, India will draft Rishabh Pant into their playing XI versus Bangladesh. And if that happens, they will have a left-hander in the middle order, ensuring ample variety in their batting lineup. In another move, they might ask KL Rahul to keep while assigning Deepak Hooda the finishing job. 

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