Gautam Gambhir Set to Lead Fresh T20I Side in Zimbabwe Tour
Gambhir’s First Assignment as Head Coach
Gautam Gambhir, the frontrunner to succeed Rahul Dravid as the next head coach of the Indian men’s cricket team, will have his first assignment in a T20I series against Zimbabwe starting July 5. The series, consisting of five matches, will be played at the Harare Sports Club, less than a week after the conclusion of the T20 World Cup in the West Indies. Gambhir is expected to lead a new-look T20I side, which is likely to feature seven top performers from IPL 2024.
Reviving Shreyas Iyer’s International Career
Reports from PTI suggest that Gambhir’s appointment could offer a fresh start for Shreyas Iyer, who was removed from the BCCI’s central contract list earlier this year. Alongside Iyer, several young talents currently training at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru are expected to be included in the squad. Notable hopefuls include Riyan Parag, the highest run-scorer among uncapped players in IPL 2024, and Harshit Rana, who topped the bowling charts in the same category.
Young Talent in Contention
A BCCI source revealed, “Shreyas is currently not at NCA. Here mostly those players are there, who have performed in the IPL and will be in contention for Zimbabwe selection. Abhishek Sharma, Riyan Parag, Mayank Yadav, Harshit Rana, Nitish Reddy, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Yash Dayal are all at the camp. Some will go to Zimbabwe T20Is.”
Senior Players Likely to Skip
There has been speculation about whether senior players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will continue playing the T20I format after the ongoing World Cup campaign in the Caribbean. While neither has officially addressed the situation, it is reported that both will focus on ODIs and Tests for the remainder of the season, which includes nine WTC Tests between September 2024 and January 2025. Additionally, players like Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, and Suryakumar Yadav are also unlikely to feature in the series due to continuous play since the start of the IPL.
Expected Squad Members
Despite the focus on young talent, some experienced players such as Rinku Singh, Shubman Gill, Avesh Khan, and Khaleel Ahmed are expected to be part of the squad traveling to Zimbabwe. The mix of fresh faces and seasoned players aims to strike a balance and build a strong team for future challenges.
In summary, Gambhir’s first assignment as head coach promises to be an exciting opportunity for new talents to shine and for some experienced players to make their mark in the T20I format.(Dubai7 realmoneygame)