India head coach Rahul Dravid has a message for players with World Cup hopes – Don’t just knock on the door, start banging. The statement comes as the management is trying to recognise a core group pf players for the World T20 that will take place in Australia in October-November. 

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Dinesh Karthik and Hardik Pandya made full use of the opportunity presented to them as finsihers during the India vs South Africa series. The two carried their IPL 2022 form to the five-match international affair. The former finished with 92 runs in four innings at an average of 46.00. The latter’s scores read – 31*(12), 9(12), 31*(21), and 46(31). Dravid praised the two, describing them as enforcers. 

“We needed that big performance in last five overs to make a par score and he and Hardik batted beautifully. Both of them are enforcers for us at the end.”

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He added that Karthik opens up several options for them. The Royal Challengers Bangalore star scored his maiden T20I half-century in Rajkot. His 27-ball 55 rescued India in the first innings and eventually win the match. 

“It was really nice to see Karthik come off and do what he has been picked to do. That was good and it opens up a lot more options for us, going forward,” Dravid said. 

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“He was picked for what he has been doing exceptionally well for the last two or three years (in IPL) and kind of indicated in the sense that it almost came together in the game at Rajkot,” he added. 

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Talking about the players who want to make it to India’s T20 World Cup team, Dravid said that the opportunity is open to all. 

“I was telling guys that you have to start banging the door down and not just knocking the door down and innings like that (Rajkot fifty) means he is knocking very hard,” Dravid said.