Mumbai, July 2 (UNI) India have made three changes to their squad for the first two games of the five-match series against Zimbabwe.
Sai Sudharsan, Jitesh Sharma and Harshit Rana have been named as replacements for Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube and Yashasvi Jaiswal for the first two T20Is against Zimbabwe.
The World Cup-winning trio were initially scheduled to join the squad heading to Zimbabwe for the upcoming five-match T20I series starting on July 6. However, Samson, Dube and Jaiswal will now travel to India first with the rest of the ICC T20 World Cup-winning team before departing for Harare.
As a result, they will miss the first two T20Is, for which India has announced replacements.
Jitesh Sharma and Sai Sudharsan, who made their India debuts in 2023, will be joined by pacer Harshit Rana, who is receiving his first national call-up. Rana played a crucial role in the IPL 2024, picking up 19 wickets for Kolkata Knight Riders, who went on to win the title.
Shubam Gill will lead captain India for the first time as they square up against Zimbabwe in a five-match T20I series which starts on July 6.
India’s squad for 1st and 2nd T20I against Zimbabwe: Shubman Gill (Captain), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Abhishek Sharma, Rinku Singh, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Riyan Parag, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, Khaleel Ahmed, Mukesh Kumar, Tushar Deshpande, Sai Sudharsan, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Harshit Rana
Like India, Zimbabwe too have named a young side for the bilateral series, to be led by the experienced Sikandar Raza.