India's T20 World Cup champions were warmly welcomed by Zimbabwe Cricket upon their arrival at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport for a five-match T20I series starting this Saturday. The first match is scheduled for July 6 at the Harare Sports Club, which will also host the remaining games, concluding on July 14.
VVS Laxman, a former cricketer and current chief of the National Cricket Academy (NCA), will serve as India's head coach for this tour. Zimbabwe Cricket shared a video on social media showing the Indian team arriving at the airport with their luggage, accompanied by a message of welcome.
Shubman Gill will captain the Indian squad, which includes only two players from the main T20 World Cup team: Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sanju Samson. The rest of the World Cup squad members have been rested.
Players like Rinku Singh, Avesh Khan, and Khaleel Ahmed, who are part of the T20 World Cup reserves, have been added to the team. The squad also features several promising young players who have excelled in the Indian Premier League and domestic cricket over the past year.
On Monday, Zimbabwe Cricket announced their squad for the series against the T20 World Cup champions. Zimbabwe's team, also featuring many young players, will face India without several of their key players.
Antum Naqvi, born in Belgium, has been named in the squad, but his inclusion is pending confirmation of his citizenship status. Naqvi boasts impressive statistics in domestic T20, first-class, and List-A cricket, highlighting his potential ahead of his international debut.
After not qualifying for the recent T20 World Cup, Zimbabwe is looking to rebuild under new head coach Justin Sammons. The team, with an average age of 27 and a combined total of 558 T20I appearances, aims to rejuvenate its performance.
Sikandar Raza, 38, will continue to lead the side. With 86 matches under his belt, Raza is Zimbabwe’s most experienced player, followed by 29-year-old Luke Jongwe, who has made 63 appearances.
India’s squad for the T20I series against Zimbabwe includes Shubman Gill (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Abhishek Sharma, Rinku Singh, Sanju Samson (wk), Dhruv Jurel (wk), Nitish Reddy, Riyan Parag, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, Khaleel Ahmed, Mukesh Kumar, and Tushar Deshpande.
The Zimbabwe squad for the T20I series against India comprises Sikandar Raza (c), Akram Faraz, Bennett Brian, Campbell Johnathan, Chatara Tendai, Jongwe Luke, Kaia Innocent, Madande Clive, Madhevere Wessly, Marumani Tadiwanashe, Masakadza Wellington, Mavuta Brandon, Muzarabani Blessing, Myers Dion, Naqvi Antum, Ngarava Richard, and Shumba Milton.
The upcoming series promises an exciting clash as both teams showcase their talent and prepare for future international tournaments.
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