Image Source: AFP
[Saba Sports News] Captain Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma will open for India in the first T20I against Zimbabwe at Harare Sports Club on Saturday, marking the start of the post-Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli era. Rohit and Kohli, who were India’s openers throughout the T20 World Cup in the USA and the West Indies, announced their retirement from T20Is after India’s unbeaten run to win the T20 World Cup after 17 years.
A week after their victory over South Africa in the final, a new-look Indian side under first-time skipper Shubman Gill will face Zimbabwe. In his first address as captain, Gill confirmed Abhishek Sharma as his opening partner and Ruturaj Gaikwad at No.3.
Abhishek Sharma, who had an impressive IPL season with 484 runs in 16 matches at a strike rate of 204.22, will make his T20I debut. Known for his big hitting in the powerplay, Sharma’s left-arm spin will also be valuable in Harare’s conditions. Rajasthan Royals players Riyan Parag and Dhruv Jurel are also set to make their debuts. Parag scored 573 runs in 15 IPL matches at a strike rate of 149, while Jurel will take the gloves for the first two T20Is in the absence of Sanju Samson.
Most of India’s World Cup-winning team were given a break from this five-match T20 series. Only five members—Rinku Singh, Shivam Dube, Yashavi Jaiswal, Khaleel Ahmed, and Samson—were named in the squad. Dube, Jaiswal, and Samson, who were part of the main World Cup squad, will miss the first two T20Is due to their victory celebrations. They have been replaced by Jitesh Sharma, Sai Sudharshan, and Harshit Rana. Rinku and Khaleel, part of the World Cup reserves, are likely to be available from the series opener.
Gill, making his captaincy debut, said his experience leading Gujarat Titans in IPL 2024 will be beneficial. “When I captained for the first time for my IPL team, I learned a lot about myself and leadership. Most of the challenges as a captain are more mental,” he said.
He emphasized the importance of giving young players international exposure. “It’s a different team from the one that played in the World Cup. There are many young players, including myself. Our aim for the series is to give them more international exposure and experience,” Gill said.