The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced on Tuesday that Sai Sudharsan, Jitesh Sharma, and Harshit Rana will be substituting for Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shivam Dube, and Sanju Samson in the first two Twenty20 Internationals in India’s upcoming five-match series in Zimbabwe.

Originally, Samson, Jaiswal, and Dube were supposed to be part of the Zimbabwe-bound team for the Saturday series. But after the team defeated South Africa in an exciting final in Barbados to earn their first ICC trophy in more than ten years, the trio will return to India along with the rest of the Rohit Sharma-led group before leaving for Zimbabwe.

In Zimbabwe, Shubman Gill will serve as team captain, and VVS Laxman, the chairman of the National Cricket Academy and a former batter, will serve as coach. In the Indian Premier League (IPL) of 2024, Sudharsan played for the Gujarat Titans, captained by Gill. The BCCI had earlier shared images of players including Abhishek Sharma, Avesh Khan, Riyan Parag, Mukesh Kumar, and Ruturaj Gaikwad, announcing that the team has left for Harare.

After Nitish Kumar Reddy became injured, Dube was recruited to the squad, although he had not previously been a member of it. The India T20I team is gearing up for life after Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja, and the Zimbabwe series will usher in a new era. Following their World Cup victory, all three of them gave up on the shortest format.

Abhishek, Parag, and Tushar Deshpande will be participating in their maiden international cricket match. They were chosen as a result of an exceptional IPL 2024. With Gill about to make his debut as India’s captain, all eyes will be on him. The right-handed opener is keen to establish himself as the first man after missing out on a spot in India’s T20 World Cup team.

India’s squad for 1st & 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