A youthful Indian cricket team, spearheaded by skipper Shubman Gill and guided by National Cricket Academy chief VVS Laxman, has made its arrival in Zimbabwe. The team is set to engage in a five-match T20 International series commencing on July 6th. A video shared by Zimbabwe Cricket on X captured the team disembarking from the airport with their luggage. The entire squad had departed from Mumbai on Tuesday, with Gill, who had been a travelling reserve for the T20 World Cup team in the Americas, joining them after a break from New York. “We welcome T20 World Cup champions India,” Zimbabwe Cricket wrote on Tuesday night in a post on ‘X’. Young top-order batter Riyan Parag, who is poised to make his India debut in the series, expressed his excitement in a video posted by BCCI. “The feel of donning India jersey, travelling with the side is different. Coming from Assam, I had this dream of playing for India. Really happy. There will be a special connection for Zimbabwe when I play my first match. That will be a special moment for that ground and myself, which would be very sacred,” he said. “After misplacing my passport, to phones, we are finally here after a 20-hour journey. Now, really looking forward to the tour,” Parag added. Another newcomer, medium pacer Tushar Deshpande, shared his sentiments, stating that the feeling of being part of the national setup is “slowly sinking in and it’s like a dream come true for me. Playing for the country is a very special thing. “Travelling with the team is the most important and getting to know them, knowing the atmosphere of the team and most important for me is the fun we have during travel,” Deshpande added. Big-hitting left-hander Abhishek Sharma spoke about his lifelong ambition: “From the day I started playing cricket, I had only one dream, which was to play for the country. “I know if I continue working hard, I will get an opportunity but I didn’t know I will get it outside India in Zimbabwe. “I got a call from (skipper) Shubman after my name was announced in the squad. Everyone has been giving me so much of affection. For me, it was a very big thing,” added Sharma. “When I reached home after my name had been announced, I saw my family members giving interviews. So, I think, that was one moment I will always remember,” he said. India’s first match against Sikandar Raza-captained Zimbabwe will take place on July 6th at the Harare Cricket Ground. The remaining four matches will also be played at the same venue, culminating on July 14th. T20 World Cup travelling reserves Sanju Samson, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and all-rounder Shivam Dube were initially scheduled to join the Zimbabwe-bound group but are currently stranded in Barbados due to hurricane Beryl. In their absence, Sai Sudharsan, Jitesh Sharma, and Harshit Rana were named as replacements for the first two matches of the series. Samson, Jaiswal, and Dube, along with other senior players, are expected to arrive in India on a charter flight on Thursday morning. The players will subsequently be honored by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. Pacer Khaleel Ahmed and batter Rinku Singh, who were travelling reserves for the T20 World Cup, are also in Barbados. The BCCI has yet to announce replacements for the duo despite their inclusion in the Zimbabwe series squad.
India’s Young Cricket Team Arrives in Zimbabwe for T20 Series
