India’s squad for the upcoming five-match T20I series against Zimbabwe will be announced on Sunday (June 23). The Ajit Agarkar-led panel will choose the team on Sunday and the BCCI will reportedly announce the team on the same day.
According to a CricketNext report, the BCCI has already collected the passports of some of the Zimbabwe-bound players. The report further stated that the Zimbabwe vs India series will feature a revamped Indian team as most of the regular players will be rested.
India’s main team is currently in the Caribbean for the T20 World Cup and most of those players are likely to be rested for assignment to Zimbabwe. According to the report, India’s fast bowling department will have several left-handers even if Arshdeep Singh is rested.
Khaleel Ahmed, who is currently with the Indian team as a reserve player, will be one of the left-arm pacers. Yash Dayal is likely to be the other option after his impressive campaign in this year’s IPL. Mukesh Kumar is also in the mix and the selectors will take the final decision depending on the balance of the team. Looks like Avesh Khan will also be a part of the team.
India team for Zimbabwe series:
Shubman Gill, who failed to make India’s squad for the T20 World Cup, appears to be included in the squad. The first game was with the team as a substitute player and he was released after the game by the United States. However, he has not returned to India and will directly join the team in Zimbabwe.
There is also a possibility that India will have a new captain for the series against Zimbabwe. In the absence of Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav led the team in T20Is last year. However, both the players are likely to be rested after playing the IPL and World Cup in the last three months.
The Zimbabwe vs India 2024 series is scheduled to be played from July 6 to 14. All five T20Is will be played in Harare. The upcoming series will be the first T20I series between the two teams since 2016. India visited Zimbabwe in 2022, but only for three T20Is.