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will lead the Indian team on their upcoming tour of Zimbabwe, the BCCI announced on Monday, June 24. India has called up several young players who have performed well in the Indian Premier League and domestic cricket over the last year. Notable call-ups include and Abhishek Sharma, who were standout players in the IPL 2024 season. Abhishek Sharma’s SRH teammate, Nitish Kumar Reddy, has also been included in the squad as a fast-bowling all-rounder.

Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sanju Samson are the sole players retained from the Indian T20 World Cup squad. The remainder of the team has been given a break. Rinku Singh and Khaleel Ahmed, currently in the Caribbean as reserves, have been selected for the squad as well.

India’s Strategic Shift: Emphasis on All-Round Prowess in Squad Selection

India has chosen only one specialist spinner, former ICC No. 1 T20I bowler Ravi Bishnoi. The squad boasts a lengthy list of all-rounders, including Abhishek Sharma, Nitish Reddy, Washington Sundar, and Riyan Parag, all proficient in both batting and bowling. This marks a strategic shift for India, addressing past criticism from experts and the media that none of the top 5 Indian batters contributed with the ball.

India will embark on a 5-match T20I series in Zimbabwe in July, immediately following the T20 World Cup 2024. The Zimbabwe Cricket Board officially announced India’s visit to Harare in a statement on January 6. The series will take place from July 6 to 14 in Harare, marking India’s fourth T20I series in Zimbabwe following their visits in 2010, 2015, and 2016. While India has not hosted Zimbabwe for a bilateral series, they have regularly toured the African nation in the past. According to Zimbabwe’s statement, the tour was confirmed after productive discussions between their cricket board and the BCCI.

India’s Squad for Zimbabwe Tour

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.

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