IND vs ZIM: 3 Indian players to make T20I debut as Shubman Gill opts to field first in series opener

Three Indian players are making their T20I debut as the Men in Blue take on Zimbabwe for the five-match series. India captain Shubman Gill won the toss and opted to field first in the series opener at the Harare Sports Club in Harare on Saturday, July 4. Abhishek Sharma, Dhruv Jurel and Riyan Parag are making their debut. 

This will be India's first international assignment since winning the T20 World Cup in 2024. With veteran players Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja announcing their retirement from the shorter format, this series will be crucial for the youngsters to seal their spots.

Notably, Jurel has already made his international debut (Test) and the keeper-batter is now set for his maiden appearance in the T20I format. Meanwhile, for Abhishek and Parag, this is a dream come true moment as they are making their international debut.

Both have been rewarded for their impressive performances in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. Abhishek displayed ruthless batting for Sunrisers Hyderabad, scoring close to 500 runs at an astonishing strike rate of over 200. On the other hand, Riyan, who scored 573 runs at an average of 52.09, was the most consistent batter for Rajasthan Royals this season.

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Speaking at the toss, India captain Gill said: “We will field first. I think it looks like a good surface. It won't change much later. It has been a long coming. We won an ICC event after 11 years. You always have some expectations from yourself. We have three debutants. Sharma, Jurel and Parag make their debuts.”

IND vs ZIM Playing XIs

Zimbabwe (Playing XI): Tadiwanashe Marumani, Innocent Kaia, Brian Bennett, Sikandar Raza(c), Dion Myers, Johnathan Campbell, Clive Madande(w), Wessly Madhevere, Luke Jongwe, Blessing Muzarabani, Tendai Chatara

India (Playing XI): Shubman Gill(c), Abhishek Sharma, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Riyan Parag, Rinku Singh, Dhruv Jurel(w), Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, Mukesh Kumar, Khaleel Ahmed

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