Champions Trophy: India recall Dinesh Karthik; Gautam Gambhir and Yuvraj axed

Indian have recalled wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy, but Gautam Gambhir and Yuvraj Singh have been left out of the 15-man squad.

Yuvraj, who had made a dramatic return to international cricket last year after recovering from cancer, scored just 34 runs in three one-day internationals against Pakistan and 126 in five matches against England earlier this season.

Gambhir has also endured a lean run in ODIs, scoring a total of 34 runs against Pakistan and 127 against England. He has been replaced by fellow Delhi batsman Shikhar Dhawan.

Dhawan, 27, who played the last of his five ODIs in West Indies two years ago, scored the fastest century on Test debut in hitting 187 against Australia in Mohali to stake his claim for the Champions Trophy.

The other opener in the squad, Murali Vijay, was a surprise inclusion as the right-hander last played an ODI against South Africa in January 2011 and has failed to score a fifty in his 11 matches in the format.

Elsewhere in the batting department, right-hander Rohit Sharma has been preferred to Yuvraj in the middle order.

Fast bowler Umesh Yadav returned from his back injury while all-rounder Irfan Pathan has also earned a recall. Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and leg-spinner Amit Mishra are the two specialist slow bowlers in the squad.

India, the reigning 50-over world champions, are in Group B and will play the opening match of the June 6-23 tournament against South Africa in Cardiff.

Pakistan and West Indies are the other teams in the group.

India squad: MS Dhoni, S Dhawan, V Kohli, S Raina, D Karthik, M Vijay, Rohit Sharma, R Jadeja, R Ashwin, Irfan Pathan, Y Umesh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ishant Sharma, A Mishra, Vinay Kumar.