Shubman Gill has confirmed India’s opening pair for the first T20I against Zimbabwe, marking the start of a new era for the team following the retirements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Gill, alongside Abhishek Sharma, will open the batting for India at the Harare Sports Club on Saturday.
Rohit and Kohli were the mainstays at the top of the order during India’s triumphant T20 World Cup campaign in the USA and West Indies. However, after India secured their first T20 World Cup in 17 years, Rohit, Kohli, and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja announced their retirements from T20Is.
A week after their thrilling seven-run victory over South Africa in the final in Barbados, a refreshed Indian squad under first-time captain Shubman Gill is set to face a restructured Zimbabwe team. In his first address as captain, Gill confirmed that Abhishek Sharma would join him as the opening batsman.
Rajasthan Royals players Riyan Parag and Dhruv Jurel are also expected to make their debuts. Parag had an impressive IPL season, scoring 573 runs in 15 matches at a strike rate of 149, while Jurel will be taking the wicketkeeping gloves for the first two T20Is in the absence of Sanju Samson.
Most of India’s T20 World Cup-winning squad has been rested for this five-match series against Zimbabwe. Only five players – Rinku Singh, Shivam Dube, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Khaleel Ahmed, and Sanju Samson – have been included in the squad for the Zimbabwe series.
Dube, Jaiswal, and Samson, who were part of India’s main World Cup squad, will miss the first two T20Is due to extended victory celebrations in Delhi and Mumbai. They have been temporarily replaced by Jitesh Sharma, Sai Sudharsan, and Harshit Rana. Meanwhile, Rinku and Khaleel, who were reserves for the T20 World Cup, are expected to be available from the series opener.
Gill, who captained the Gujarat Titans in IPL 2024, is making his captaincy debut for India in this series. He believes his IPL experience will be beneficial. “When I captained for the first time in the IPL, I learned a lot about myself and leadership. Most of the challenges you face as a captain are mental,” he explained.
Gill emphasized the importance of giving young players international exposure. “It’s a different team from the one that played in the World Cup. Many young players, including myself, are in the squad. Our aim for the series is to provide them with international exposure and experience,” he added.
