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Just a week following their victorious campaign in the T20 World Cup 2024, the Indian men’s cricket team has begun a spirited five-match T20I series against Zimbabwe. The series opener is currently unfolding at Harare Sports Club on this Saturday (July 6). Leading the charge in the absence of key T20 World Cup-winning team members is the young opening batsman, Shubman Gill. Opting to field first after winning the toss in the first match, Gill and his squad are looking to continue their winning momentum.
India clinched their second T20 World Cup title on June 29, joining the ranks of only two other teams globally. Their triumph over South Africa in the T20 World Cup 2024 final cemented their status, though curiously, their jerseys during the Zimbabwe series only display one star instead of the expected two. This discrepancy has puzzled many fans, as typically each T20 World Cup victory warrants the addition of a star on the national team’s jersey.
The BCCI has yet to offer an official explanation for the single-star jerseys, but it’s widely speculated that logistical constraints played a role. With minimal time between the T20 World Cup final and the start of the Zimbabwe series, the BCCI likely had pre-printed jerseys ready for the tour departure. Given the away series context, there simply wasn’t sufficient opportunity to produce and transport updated jerseys with two stars to Zimbabwe.
Despite this initial oversight, there remains hope among supporters that subsequent matches in the series may see the Indian team proudly donning jerseys that accurately reflect their dual T20 World Cup triumphs.
Following their triumphant return from Barbados, where they clinched the T20 World Cup 2024 title on Saturday (June 29), the Indian cricket team touched down in Delhi on July 4.
The players, adorned in jerseys proudly displaying two stars, were greeted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Later that evening, during a celebratory event in Mumbai, they continued to sport the same jerseys, marking the occasion with pride and jubilation.
In the ongoing T20I series opener in Harare on Saturday, the Indian team management introduced three promising debutants: Abhishek Sharma, Riyan Parag, and Dhruv Jurel. These talented young players earned their spots in the squad based on standout performances with the bat for their respective franchises during the IPL 2024 season.
