• India's squad for Zimbabwe series announced: Shubman Gill named captain, Riyan Parag among debutants

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    India's squad for Zimbabwe series announced: Shubman Gill named captain, Riyan Parag among debutants
    The team management decided to give them a break since they were unlikely to feature in the T20 World Cup games...

    Digital Desk: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) officially announced the squad for the upcoming Zimbabwe series, set to commence on July 6. Shubman Gill will lead the team and key players participating in the ongoing T20 World Cup, such as Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, and Suryakumar Yadav, will not be part of this series.

    The squad includes in-form players like Sunrisers Hyderabad opener Abhishek Sharma, and Riyan Parag, along with Nitish Kumar Reddy, Tushar Deshpande, and Khaleel Ahmed, all regular performers in the IPL. Additionally, players who were on the bench during the T20 World Cup, including Sanju Samson, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Rinku Singh, have also been selected.



    Shubman Gill, who was a reserve player for the Indian team in the USA, returned to India alongside pacer Avesh Khan. The team management decided to give them a break since they were unlikely to feature in the T20 World Cup games. This series marks the first time Abhishek Sharma, 23, has been selected for the Indian team. The Punjab batsman scored 484 runs in the IPL, providing solid starts for SRH alongside Travis Head. 

    Rajasthan Royals’ Riyan Parag also had a remarkable IPL season, amassing 573 runs. The selectors aim to test another medium-pace all-rounder, leading to the inclusion of SRH’s Reddy, who won BCCI’s Emerging Player of the Year award. Mumbai’s pacer Tushar Deshpande, who had a strong domestic season and was a dependable bowler for Chennai Super Kings, also made the cut.

    India’s tour of Zimbabwe will feature five T20I matches, starting on July 6, with subsequent games on July 7, 10, 13, and 14. All matches will be held at the Harare Sports Club in Harare.

    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.