IND vs ZIM: BCCI announces India squad for the Zimbabwe tour

The BCCI has announced the 15-member T20I squad for the Zimbabwe tour, starting on July 23. The most surprising news is that Sanju Samson has not found a place in the squad; instead, Prabhsimran Singh has been selected as the second wicket-keeper batter.

The selection committee, led by Ajit Agarkar, has not yet confirmed whether Sanju Samson has been rested or dropped for the Zimbabwe tour. Samson, who won the 'Player of the Tournament' award during India's T20 World Cup-winning campaign earlier this year, has been struggling during the ongoing UK tour. He managed to score only 6 runs across three matches against Ireland and England, leading to his exclusion from the second T20I against England, where 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was given a chance in his place.

Apart from this, all other top-order batters have retained their spots. Rinku Singh and Mayank Yadav have returned to the team, while Ashok Sharma, Harsh Dubey, and Yash Thakur have received maiden call-ups. Harsh Dubey, who made his ODI debut against Afghanistan last month, has now been selected for the T20I format as well, clearly indicating that he is part of the management's plans across all three formats.

Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Ravi Bishnoi, and Washington Sundar have also not been included in the squad for the Zimbabwe series; reports suggest they have been rested. However, Varun Chakaravarthy will travel with the squad for the Zimbabwe tour. New T20I captain Shreyas Iyer will lead the squad, while Tilak Varma has been retained as vice-captain. The batting responsibilities will rest on skipper Shreyas Iyer, Tilak Varma, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, and Rinku Singh. Among all-rounders, the team has options in Shivam Dube, Suryansh Shedge, and Harsh Dubey. Spin bowling duties will be handled by Varun Chakaravarthy and Harsh Dubey, while Mayank Yadav, Prince Yadav, Yash Thakur, and Ashok Sharma will serve as the fast-bowling options.

India squad for Zimbabwe T20I series

Shreyas Iyer ©), Tilak Varma (VC), Ishan Kishan (wk), Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Abhishek Sharma, Shivam Dube, Suryansh Shedge, Rinku Singh, Harsh Dubey, Varun Chakravarthy, Prince Yadav, Yash Thakur, Ashok Sharma, Mayank Yadav, Prabhsimran Singh (WK)

India's tour of Zimbabwe will take place from July 23 to July 26. All three matches of the series will be played at the Harare Sports Club ground in Harare on July 23, 24, and 26.