The Indian cricket team is set to embark on a white-ball tour of Zimbabwe, and this time, a fresh wave of talent will be taking the field. The selectors have chosen to reward the impressive performances of three young stars from the Indian Premier League (IPL): Riyan Parag, Abhishek Sharma, and Nitish Reddy. All three players are set to make their international debuts for India on this tour.
This tour marks a strategic decision to give these emerging players valuable experience on the international stage. The senior players, who were competing in the T20 World Cup in the Americas, including captain Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, and Jasprit Bumrah, have been given rest ahead of a demanding season.
The Zimbabwe tour, which comprises five T20 Internationals, will kick off on July 6th. Alongside the three debutants, the squad boasts other talented IPL performers such as Tushar Deshpande, Harshit Rana, Avesh Khan, and Rinku Singh. Experienced players Sanju Samson and Yashasvi Jaiswal, who were on the bench during the T20 World Cup, are also included in the 15-member squad.
Shubman Gill, who was part of the traveling reserves for India’s T20 World Cup campaign, was released after the team finished its group stage matches. Similarly, Avesh Khan was also released as they were unlikely to feature in any of the remaining games.
Abhishek Sharma, who represents Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL, had a remarkable IPL 2024, accumulating 484 runs. Meanwhile, Riyan Parag, the first player from Assam to be picked in the senior Indian team, amassed 573 runs for Rajasthan Royals.
This tour is a golden opportunity for these young players to make their mark on the international stage and further establish themselves as integral members of the Indian team. The Zimbabwe tour will be an exciting test for these young stars, and fans are eagerly awaiting to witness their performances.
