Kolkata, Apr 15 (PTI) 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 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 above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)