'Dream come true': Dinesh Karthik on making cut for India's World Cup team

Wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik, who was on Monday named in India's 15-member squad for the upcoming World Cup, said it was a dream come true to be a part of the team.

"I am very excited. It has been a dream for me to be a part of this team for a long time now," he said.

"As a team, we have done some special things and I have been through that journey and I have really wanted to be a part of this team," he told www.Kkr.In.

Karthik on Monday returned to India's World Cup squad after 12 years, trumping Mahendra Singh Dhoni's heir apparent Rishabh Pant in a selection move that will be debated for a long time.

The second wicketkeeper was the sole bone of contention for the marquee event starting in England and Wales on May 30 and the 33-year-old Karthik's experience of 91 ODIs gave him the edge over the 21-year-old Pant, according to the five-member selection panel headed by MSK Prasad.

The side, expectedly led by Virat kohli, comprises five specialist batsmen, two wicketkeepers, three fast bowlers, three all-rounders and two specialist spinners. Tamil Nadu all-rounder Vijay Shankar made it for his "three-dimensional" qualities.

Squad: Virat Kohli (captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma (vice-captain), KL Rahul, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (wk), Kedar Jadhav, Hardik Pandya, Vijay Shankar, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Dinesh karthik, Ravindra Jadeja.