A young Indian squad under the direction of VVS Laxman arrived in Zimbabwe on Tuesday, July 2. This young Indian team will be led by Shubhman Gill. Under his captainship, India has come to play a five-match T20I series against Zimbabwe, which will start on July 6.
After a break, Captain Gill, a traveling reserve with the T20 World Cup squad, came here from New York; the rest of the team had departed Mumbai on Tuesday.
In a video uploaded on X by Zimbabwe Cricket, the Indian team was seen leaving the airport carrying their bags.
“We welcome T20 World Cup champions India,” wrote Zimbabwe Cricket on Tuesday night in a post on ‘X’.
𝐖𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐓𝟐𝟎 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐂𝐮𝐩 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐚
— Zimbabwe Cricket (@ZimCricketv) July 2, 2024!
#ZIMvIND pic.twitter.com/Oiv5ZxgzaS
In a video released by the BCCI, young batsman Riyan Parag, who will be playing for India in the series, stated that he had always dreamed of traveling like this (with the national side).
“The feel of donning India jersey, traveling with the side is different. Coming from Assam, I had this dream of playing for India. Really happy. There will be a special connection for Zimbabwe when I play my first match. That will be a special moment for that ground and myself, which would be very sacred,” he said.
“After misplacing my passport, to phones, we are finally here after a 20-hour journey. Now, really looking forward to the tour,” Parag added.
Another newcomer, medium pacer Tushar Deshpande, said “The feeling of being in the national setup is slowly sinking in and it’s like a dream come true for me. Playing for the country is a very special thing.”
“Travelling with the team is the most important and getting to know them, knowing the atmosphere of the team and most important for me is the fun we have during travel,” added Deshpande.
Abhishek Sharma, a big-hitting left-hander, said he had only one desire when he started playing cricket: to play for his country.
Travel Day
— BCCI (@BCCI) July 3, 2024
The Journey Begins…
Excitement, happiness & more, ft. #TeamIndia newcomers#ZIMvIND | @ParagRiyan | @IamAbhiSharma4 pic.twitter.com/YdhK5jldtW
India will play its first T20 match against Zimbabwe on July 6 at the Harare Cricket Ground. The remaining four games will be played at the same venue. The series will end on July 14.
India Squad for Zimbabwe Tour 2024
Ꮪhubman Gill (Captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Abhishek Sharma, Rinku Singh, Sanju Samson (WK), Dhruv Jurel (WK), Shivam Dube, Riyan Parag, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, Khaleel Ahmed, Mukesh Kumar, Tushar Deshpande
