Wicket-keeper batsman Dinesh Karthik has replaced injured Manish Pandey in the squad for ICC Champions Trophy that is scheduled to begin from June 1. Karthik is in sublime form and has scored a lot of runs for his franchise Gujarat Lions in the tenth edition of the Indian Premier League. The right-handed batsman scored a total of 361 runs in 14 matches that he played at an average of 36.10. Karthik was also a part of the team that visited England in the last edition of the ICC Champions Trophy that was held in the year 2013. India will begin their Champions Trophy campaign against Pakistan on June 4 in Edgbaston. The Men in Blue will go in the tournament as the defending champions as they emerged victorious in the last edition after beating hosts England by 5 runs in final. India were then playing under MS Dhoni and will now play under Virat Kohli who was given the full-time captaincy in the limited overs format after Dhoni stepped down from the position earlier this year. Kohli has had a pretty good run after donning the captaincy hat. The Indian team also defeated England in an ODI home series under his leadership. Apart from Pakistan, India will also lock horns with Sri Lanka and South Africa in their respective group matches.
