New Delhi: The youthful Indian cricket team, along with interim coach VVS Laxman, departed for Zimbabwe late Monday night to participate in a five-match T20I series scheduled from July 6-14 at the Harare Sports Club.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) shared a series of photos on social media showcasing the players and coach as they embarked on their journey to Zimbabwe.
This marks the fourth instance of Zimbabwe hosting India for a bilateral men’s T20I series, following previous encounters in 2010, 2015, and 2016.
The team, led by Shubman Gill, includes Abhishek Sharma, Nitish Reddy, Riyan Parag, and Tushar Deshpande, all of whom have received their first call-ups to the national squad.
The tour of Zimbabwe represents Gill’s first significant leadership role at the international level, following his captaincy of the Gujarat Titans in IPL 2024, where the 2022 champions concluded the season in ninth place.
Outstanding performances in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 have propelled Abhishek, Nitish Reddy, Riyan, and Tushar into the national team for the first time.
Wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel has been included in India’s T20I squad for the first time, after playing three Tests for India against England in the 4-1 series victory earlier this year.
India’s squad for the T20I series against Zimbabwe: Shubman Gill (Captain), 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.
