India tour of Zimbabwe preview: A new look squad takes on the Chevrons

ASHLEY DUBE

HARARE – The Zimbabwe men's national cricket team is gearing up to face the newly crowned T20I World Champions, India, in a T20I series from the 6th of July to the 14th of July, 2024 – with a series of regional T20 matches as preparation.

Shubman Gill will captain the Indian side touring Zimbabwe.

The Zimbabwe training squad has been divided into two regional sides, the Southerns and the Northerns.

The Northerns have emerged victorious in the two matches played so far, winning the first by four wickets and the second by a commanding 55 runs.

Several players stood out in the first match, including:

Milton Shumba: 58 runs off 52 balls
Tadiwanashe Marumani: 70 runs off 41 balls
Dion Myers: 50 runs off 41 balls
Brian Bennet: 37 runs off 21 balls
Ryan Burl: 27 runs off 9 balls
Luke Jongwe: 2 wickets for 44 runs in 3.4 overs
Tendai Chatara: 1 wicket for 15 runs in 4 overs
Sikandar Raza: 1 wicket for 22 runs in 4 overs

Raza continued his strong performance in the second match, claiming impressive figures of 3 for 7 in his four-over spell.

While Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) has not yet announced their squad for the upcoming T20I series, there is strong speculation that Australian-born all-rounder Antum Naqvi could make his debut for the Chevrons in this series.

Meanwhile, India had already confirmed their touring party days before clinching the T20I World Cup title in Barbados against South Africa.

Shubman Gill will lead the side, with most of the players from the recently concluded T20 World Cup, including Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, and Suryakumar Yadav, opting out of this series.

The squad will feature in-form Sunrisers Hyderabad opener Abhishek Sharma and Riyan Parag, along with Nitish Kumar Reddy, Tushar Deshpande, and Khaleel Ahmed – all regular performers in the IPL.

The team also includes players who were on the bench during the World Cup, such as Sanju Samson, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Rinku Singh.

The squad is rounded out by Chennai Super Kings captain Ruturaj Gaikwad, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, and Mukesh Kumar.

Gill and Avesh Khan, who travelled to the USA as reserve players for the World Cup, returned to India early as the team management wanted to give them a break, knowing they were unlikely to feature in the tournament.

This tour marks the first international selection for Abhishek Sharma, who had a stellar IPL season, scoring 484 runs for Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Riyan Parag, who also enjoyed a successful IPL campaign, scoring 573 runs for Rajasthan Royals, has also been included. SRH's Nitish Reddy, the BCCI's emerging player of the year, is another new face in the squad.

Mumbai's Tushar Deshpande, who impressed during the domestic season and for Chennai Super Kings, completes the list of exciting young talents.

India's tour of Zimbabwe will commence on July 6th with the first T20I, followed by the second match on July 7th. The remaining matches are scheduled for July 10th, July 13th, and July 14th, all at Harare Sports Club in the capital. All matches start at 1PM.

India's Squad for the T20I Series Against Zimbabwe: