Just after the end of the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, in the West Indies and the United States of America, India is set to tour Zimbabwe for a five-match T20I series, in the first week of July, which gives them a chance to show their bench strength using the players from the Indian Premier League (IPL).
This will also be the first assignment of the new head coach of the senior men’s side where former India opener Gautam Gambhir is ahead to replace the current coach Rahul Dravid in the position. It will be a good challenge for that individual to use the fresh T20I players, as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) looks to give new players a chance to showcase their talent.
It’s also been reported that the Kolkata Knight Riders captain Shreyas Iyer, who was removed from the central contract of the BCCI, could make a return to the team and start his international career fresh under the coaching tenure of Gambhir.
Riyan Parag and Harshit Rana are among the young Indian players to travel to Zimbabwe
Shreyas Iyer, who won the third title for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the final of the IPL 2024, under the mentorship of Gambhir, against the Sunrisers Hyderabad, at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, could get the captaincy duties for the series.
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The likes of Riyan Parag and Harshit Rana have done pretty well in the recent edition of the IPL. The former ended the 20-over tournament with the Rajasthan Royals, managing 573 runs in 15 innings, at an average of 52.09, and a strike rate of just under 150, with the help of four half-centuries.
Rana has shown his excellent skill of bowling in the powerplay and death overs, as he has picked up 19 wickets in 13 innings at an average of just over 20, and an economy of around nine, which is quite good in a tournament where 220 was an average score.
Most of these young players have been practicing at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) for a long time in Bengaluru and could get selected in the Indian team.
‘Shreyas is currently not at NCA. Here mostly those players are there, who have performed in the IPL and will be in contention for Zimbabwe selection.’ A BCCI source told the PTI in a recent chat. ‘Abhishek Sharma, Riyan Parag, Mayank Yadav, Harshit Rana, Nitish Reddy, Vijaykumar Vyshak, and Yash Dayal are all at the camp. Some will go to Zimbabwe T20Is.’
Will Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma be part of the T20Is in the future?
The current discussions have been that the India captains Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli may not be part of India’s T20I team in the future. Both have been playing in the World Cup in the Caribbean, but the reports have suggested that both these senior players might shift their focus from the shortest format of the game.
The Champions League 2025 is scheduled next, with the World Test Championship to be played around a year later, and both Rohit and Kohli could end up playing only ODIs and Tests for India in that session.
The likes of Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, and Suryakumar Yadav are expected to get a short break after the World Cup, while the likes of Rinku Singh, and Shubman Gill could feature in the Zimbabwe tour.
The first of the five-match T20I series for India against Zimbabwe will begin on July 06, at the Harare Sports Club, in Harare.
