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Team India, the reigning T20I world champions, will step onto the field for the first time since their title win. Their opponents in the opening match of the five-game series will be Zimbabwe, with the action set to unfold on Saturday (July 6) in Harare.
Interestingly, none of the players who clinched the World Cup for India are part of the squad, at least for the initial two matches. Shivam Dube, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Sanju Samson were initially selected, but due to a delay caused by a hurricane in Barbados following the World Cup final, they have been replaced by Harshit Rana, Sai Sudharsan, and Jitesh Sharma for the first two games.
Three debutants for Team India:
Team India is set to introduce three debutants in their upcoming clash against Zimbabwe. Abhishek Sharma, Dhruv Jurel, and Riyan Parag will all make their first appearances in the T20 format.
Captain Shubman Gill confirmed Sharma’s debut ahead of the match, revealing that the left-handed batsman will partner him at the top of the order throughout the series. The team management has also decided to give Jurel and Parag their debuts in this game.
Sharma and Parag earned their call-ups to the Indian squad following impressive performances in this year’s IPL. Sharma notably played a crucial role for Sunrisers Hyderabad, amassing 484 runs in 16 matches at a striking rate exceeding 204, fueled by an impressive tally of 42 sixes.
Parag had an equally impressive IPL campaign, finishing as the tournament’s third-highest run-scorer with 573 runs, including four half-centuries. Jurel, while not making a significant impact in this year’s IPL, had showcased his talent previously and also made his Test debut against England earlier.
The inclusion of these talented youngsters marks an exciting new chapter for Indian cricket, as they look to make an impact in the international arena.
