Indian batter Shubman Gill has been appointed as the leader of the Rohit Sharma-less side for the upcoming white-ball series against Zimbabwe on Monday. Shubman Gill travelled to the United States of America (USA) as a reserve player for Team India’s T20 World Cup campaign. However, Gill was later released from the T20 World Cup squad ahead of the business end of the ICC event.
India have called up Abhishek Sharma, Riyan Parag and Nitish Reddy for their five-match T20I tour of Zimbabwe. Shubman Gill has been named captain of a youthful squad which also features the likes of Tushar Deshpande and Dhruv Jurel.
India selects young team under Shubman Gill for tour to Zimbabwe .
Punjab and Sunrisers Hyderabad batter Abhishek Sharma gets his maiden call-up after an impressive IPL season this year, where he ended up as the highest six-hitter (42 in 16 games) in the tournament. Riyan Parag, who ranked third (573 runs) in the run-getters list in what was his breakthrough season with Rajasthan Royals, also makes his way into the squad for the first time. That both batters are also handy spin option only added to their case.
Nitish Reddy’s all-round potential also sees him make the cut as India continue to seek a backup for Hardik Pandya. The SRH batter impressed with his batting but his bowling remains a work in progress.
Tushar Deshpande is the other uncapped player in the list and the Mumbai pacer has impressed with his domestic performances apart from consistent back-to-back seasons with the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL.
The rest of the squad contains the usual suspects who, by default or design, have made regular appearances for India in the past 24-36 months. Sanju Samson is expected to be the primary wicket-keeper batter, with Jurel as the back up option. Ruturaj Gaikwad is back in the mix and it will be interesting to see where he bats, given that skipper Shubman Gill is also an opening batter. With Yashaswi Jaiswal also in the mix, one of the trio might have to bat at three.
Meanwhile, Khaleel Ahmed is set for a potential comeback after being named in the squad. The left-arm pacer did make it to the travelling reserves of the T20 World Cup squad but hasn’t played an international match since 2019. Avesh Khan and Mukesh Kumar are the other pace options in the side while Washington Sundar and Ravi Bishnoi are the specialist spinners in the squad.
Talking about this young team, with Yashaswi Jaiswal and Sanju Samson around, giving captainship to Shubman Gill is a welcome move as reckoned by Virender Sehwag even though having Ruturaj Gaikwad alongside it.
Virender Sehwag on Shubman Gill being appointed India skipper for Zimbabwe series
The selectors have picked a young squad for the series and chosen only two – Yashaswi Jaiswal and Sanju Samson – from the squad that is currently in the West Indies for the T20 World Cup. They have also appointed a new skipper in Gill as they look forward to the future.
Sehwag backed the decision, saying that Shubman Gill is the right candidate to lead India when Rohit Sharma steps aside.
Speaking to Cricbuzz, Virender Sehwag said:
“Shubman Gill is for the long haul. He’s a player who plays all three formats. He’s had a great last year. He was unlucky to miss out on the 2024 T20 World Cup. According to me, it is the right decision to make him the captain. When Rohit Sharma leaves tomorrow, Shubman Gill will be his right replacement for captaincy.”
Shubman Gill was recently seen leading the Gujarat Titans (GT) in IPL 2024 after Hardik Pandya shifted base to join his former side Mumbai Indians. The Titans finished eighth in the standings with five wins and seven defeats. But Gill impressed with his tactical acumen throughout the campaign.
Virender Sehwag on youngsters rewarded for IPL performances
The squad for the Zimbabwe series is a reflection of players rewarded for their performances in IPL 2024. The likes of Nitish Reddy, Riyan Parag and Abhishek Sharma, among others, delivered standout performances for their respective franchises.
When asked if the players are being rewarded for their IPL performances, Virender Sehwag didn’t see anything wrong with it. He further asserted that this series will serve as a testing ground for players who have performed well in the IPL to see if they are suited for the highest level or not.
“What’s wrong with that? When you’ve given such good performances in the IPL and domestic cricket, and selection in international cricket happens only after domestic cricket. So, this tour is to see if the players who have performed can do the same at the international level or not,” Sehwag concluded.
The tour kicks off on July 6 at the Harare Sports Club, which will also host the remaining four matches over the course of next 8 days.