a week after the final of the 2024 T20 World Cup, the Indian cricket team will return to action when they travel to Zimbabwe for a five-match T20I series. The first match of the series is scheduled to take place on July 6, with subsequent games to follow on July 7, July 10, July 13, and July 14, and all five games will be hosted at the Harare Sports Club.
The Indian cricket team is set to field a much-changed squad, with various players set to be rested as young players from across the country are likely to get a chance. If past precedent is anything to go by, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are set to be rested for the series.
After a heavy workload of 14 IPL matches and the possibility of nine games in the T20 World Cup in a space of three months, it will be a surprise to see Hardik Pandya taking the flight and should be given a rest. Similarly, Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah are certainly expected to stay back in India as the Men in Blue manage the workload of the star pacers, who are regulars in all three formats.
In such a case, the captaincy of the team is set to fall in the hands of Suryakumar Yadav, who led the team in a home series against Australia and an away tour of South Africa last year. However, Rishabh Pant is another contender to lead the team.
With Virat and Rohit missing, Shubman Gill and Rinku Singh are certainly set to be part of the squad. Sanju Samson should retain his spot, and there should be a maiden call-up for Abhishek Sharma after his heroics in the 2024 IPL. Nitish Kumar Reddy, who won the Emerging Player Award in IPL 2024 is another player that can make the Indian squad for the first time as India looks to groom a replacement for Hardik as a pace-bowling all-rounder.
Harshit Rana should get the nod as one of the pacers in the side after a brilliant season for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). If fit, Mayank Yadav should make the squad too, or else there could be a call-up for Mohsin Khan. Avesh Khan and Khaleel Ahmed, who are reserves in the T20 World Cup, are set to be part of the main squad.
Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav could get a rest too, which will open up a spot for Washington Sundar and Ravi Bishnoi.
India Predicted Squad For Zimbabwe Tour:Suryakumar Yadav (C), Rishabh Pant (WK/VC), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (WK), Rinku Singh, Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Khaleel Ahmed, Avesh Khan, Mayank Yadav/Mohsin Khan