Shubman Gill will lead the Indian team in the upcoming Zimbabwe tour. This move is being seen as a sign of the team's future. The tour will see five T20 matches being played at the Harare Sports Club from July 6 to 14.
None of the players who have played in the 2024 T20 World Cup so far have been included in the squad for the Zimbabwe tour. Gill, along with pacer Avesh Khan, were part of the traveling reserves for the US leg of India's T20 World Cup campaign. While both the players returned, Rinku Singh is still present as a traveling reserve and is expected to play in Zimbabwe. Sanju Samson and Yashasvi Jaiswal, who are part of the T20 World Cup squad, are also in the squad for the tour.
Former India opener Virender Sehwag has said that making Gill the captain for the tour was the right decision as he is the best candidate to take over the captaincy permanently after Rohit Sharma's departure. Sehwag said on Cricbuzz, “Shubman Gill will be associated with the team for a long time. He is a player who can play all three formats.”
He said, “His performance was excellent last year. He was unlucky to miss the 2024 T20 World Cup. According to me, making him the captain is the right decision. When Rohit Sharma leaves the captaincy tomorrow, Shubman Gill will be his right choice for captaincy.”
Riyan Parag and Nitish Reddy were included in the team for the first time
Riyan Parag has earned his maiden India cap after a stellar season in IPL 2024. Parag finished third in the Orange Cap standings as only India openers Ruturaj Gaikwad (583) and Virat Kohli (741) scored more runs than the RR batsman in IPL 2024.
Sunrisers Hyderabad all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy has also been called up to India for the first time for the upcoming series. Reddy was named Emerging Player for the 2024 IPL season. The SRH all-rounder scored 303 runs last season at an average of 33.67 and a strike rate of 142.92.
Reddy's fellow opener at SRH, Abhishek Sharma, is also set to make his debut for India in Zimbabwe. The SRH opener concluded an impressive season with Pat Cummins & Co in the IPL. Young Abhishek scored 484 runs in 16 matches of IPL 2024. India's young team also includes Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Rinku Singh and Tushar Deshpande.