Shubman Gill to Lead Young India in Zimbabwe T20 Series

Shubman Gill to Lead Young India in Zimbabwe T20 Series

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has named a fresh-faced squad to take on Zimbabwe in a five-match T20I series kicking off on July 6th, amidst the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024. Led by the promising Shubman Gill, the team features a blend of exciting youngsters and established names.

With senior players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli rested, the selectors have handed maiden call-ups to Abhishek Sharma, Riyan Parag, Nitish Reddy, and Tushar Deshpande, all of whom impressed during the recently concluded IPL 2024.

The squad also includes Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sanju Samson, who were part of the 15-member T20 World Cup squad but haven’t yet seen action in the tournament. Additionally, reserve players from the World Cup contingent – Shubman Gill, Rinku Singh, and Khaleel Ahmed – have been rewarded with a spot in the Zimbabwe-bound team.

This series marks the fourth time Zimbabwe will host India for a bilateral T20I series. The previous encounters took place in 2010, 2015, and 2016, with India claiming victory in 2010 and 2016, while the 2015 series ended in a tie.

Scheduled for July 6th to 14th, all matches will be played in Harare. The series serves as an opportunity to strengthen ties between the two cricket boards and foster a spirit of cooperation, according to a statement by Zimbabwe Cricket. With a youthful core at the helm, this tour promises to be a platform for emerging Indian talent to showcase their skills and potentially stake their claim for a spot in the national T20 setup.

India’s squad for T20I series against Zimbabwe: Shubman Gill (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Abhishek Sharma, Rinku Singh, Sanju Samson (WK), Dhruv Jurel (WK), Nitish Reddy, Riyan Parag, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, Khaleel Ahmed, Mukesh Kumar, Tushar Deshpande.