Though the entire cricket world is focused on the T20 World Cup 2024, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is working in the background to select the Indian team for the tour of Zimbabwe for 5 T20Is. The tournament is scheduled to begin on July 06, with the next-gen of India's cricketing stars expected to travel to the country while veterans like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah will be rested. Even the likes of Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav have reportedly declined the offer to travel with the team to Zimbabwe.
As per a report in the Indian Express, in the absence of Rohit, Hardik, and Surya, Shubman Gill is likely to be named the captain of the Indian team for the Zimbabwe series. The squad is expected to consist of Indian Premier League stars like Abhishek Sharma and Riyan Parag, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Tushar Deshpande, and Harshit Rana.
The likes of Sanju Samson, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Rinku Singh, who are on the tour of the USA and West Indies with the Indian team for the T20 World Cup, will also be included.
Shubman Gill also travelled with the Indian team to the USA as a member of the reserve team but was sent back alongside pacer Avesh Khan.
Who will be India's coach for the Zimbabwe series?
With the suspense over Gautam Gambhir's recruitment as India's new head coach still not over, the National Cricket Academy head VVS Laxman is expected to travel with the team to Zimbabwe alongside a few other coaches.
The next Indian coach, mostly likely Gambhir, is expected to join the team for the tour of Sri Lanka which begins on July 27.
India's probable squad for Zimbabwe T20I series: Shubman Gill (c), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Rinku Singh, Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Nitish Reddy, Harshit Rana, Yash Dayal, Khalil Ahmed, Avesh Khan, Yuzvendra Chahal, Ravi Bishnoi, Riyan Parag, Rajat Patidar, Dhruv Jurel (wk)