Riyan Parag, who turned heads with his play for the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL 2024, said that, while getting ready for the tour, he misplaced his phone and passport. However, after being selected, Abhishek—who received praise for his brave batting alongside Travis Head for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 2024 Indian Premier League—spoke about his meeting with Shubman Gill. Gill will be leading the Indian squad against Zimbabwe, for those who are unaware.
Before the first Twenty20 International on the tour of Zimbabwe gets underway at the same venue, the second string of the Indian team has arrived in Harare. With players like Tushar Deshpande, Abhishek Sharma, and Riyan Parag joining the team, several young players are expected to make their debuts for the national team. The young player shared their feelings and future ambitions as the squad landed in Harare.
“I felt great when I got a call from Gill following the selection. When I got home from my interview, my parents were doing interviews. In a video that the BCCI released, Abhishek stated, “I felt proud.”
“Ever since I was a small kid from Assam, I used to dream of this moment, now that this happened I’m very happy and I’ll always have a special connection with Zimbabwe, it will be very sacred,” Riyan Parag said.
The video that BCCI uploaded is this one:
Travel Day ✅
The Journey Begins… 👌
Excitement, happiness & more, ft. #TeamIndia newcomers 😎#ZIMvIND | @ParagRiyan | @IamAbhiSharma4 pic.twitter.com/YdhK5jldtW
— BCCI (@BCCI) July 3, 2024
On July 6, India will play their first Twenty20 international match against Zimbabwe.
Leading their five-match T20I series, India’s youthful team, captained by standout player Sikandar Raza, will take on Zimbabwe on July 6. After the first two Twenty20 Internationals, some players were left off of the team, leaving room for the next group. The team has now been split into two versions. Only two players from the Indian squad that won the 2024 T20 World Cup—Shivam Dube and Sanju Samson—will be part of the tour.
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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.
India’s squad for remaining 3 T20Is:
Shubman Gill (Captain), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Abhishek Sharma, Rinku Singh, Dhruv Jurel, Sanju Samson, Riyan Parag, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, Khaleel Ahmed, Mukesh Kumar, Tushar Deshpande, Shivam Dube, Yashasvi Jaiswal.