(AP Photo)
The Zimbabwe tour marked the debut of several promising Indian youngsters in international cricket. Led by Shubman Gill, India convincingly secured the five-match T20I series with a commanding 4-1 scoreline.
Following their recent World Cup triumph, India’s squad saw a significant turnover, retaining only Sanju Samson, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Shivam Dube from the championship-winning team in Barbados. This transition, coupled with the retirements of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja from T20Is, opened up three crucial spots in the lineup. The series in Zimbabwe provided an ideal opportunity for aspiring players to showcase their talents and vie for these vacancies.
Next on India’s agenda is a tour of Sri Lanka, featuring three ODIs and as many T20Is, marking the official start of Gautam Gambhir’s tenure as the new head coach.
During the Zimbabwe tour, India introduced four debutants: Abhishek Sharma, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, and Tushar Deshpande. Among them, Abhishek Sharma made the most significant impact, notably scoring a blazing century in the second T20I. His innings proved pivotal as India rallied to level the series after a surprising defeat in the opening match.
As Jaiswal joined the squad midway through the series, Abhishek initially partnered Captain Gill at the top of the batting order but later shifted to the number 3 position.
Looking ahead, it appears that Gill and Jaiswal will continue to hold the opening spots, with Suryakumar Yadav expected to return to the lineup at number 3 once he resumes playing. Rishabh Pant is set to follow at number 4, both having been rested since the T20 World Cup.
Given Abhishek’s proficiency as a top-order batsman, breaking into the playing XI might prove challenging despite his promising start in international cricket. Former India selector Saba Karim, however, believes that the youngster deserves inclusion in the squad of 15 at the very least.
“The most important positions will be in the top order only. I feel the selectors should go with these two (Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill) only. I feel Abhishek Sharma should get a place at least in the 15 because you have Rishabh Pant at No. 3 and Suryakumar Yadav at No. 4,” Karim said on Sony Sports.
“It also depends on who is the captain in T20Is. Gautam Gambhir is the head coach, so what is the thinking of the captain and head coach, and how they want to take the team forward. They will have to select players accordingly. Ruturaj Gaikwad is also there. So many players are staking a claim in the top order,” he added.
