Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik has named all-rounder Hardik Pandya as a main player for India in the upcoming men`s T20 World Cup in UAE and Oman in October and November.

"For India, when you want to win big tournaments you need characters, people who are up for a fight. For me that is Hardik Pandya. He is there with the ball, he is there with the bat and he plays a critical role with the bat because every time India has floundered a little bit or wants to up their run-rate he is the guy. He can hit most bowlers to most parts of the ground. T20 batting is a lot about bat speed and he has a plenty of that. Even his bowling is very clever. He`s gone on to become a leader of the pack, you can see him talking a lot on the ground, helping out other bowlers. For me he is going to be very critical," said Karthik in an ICC Digital Show.