Shubman Gill to lead India in Zimbabwe tour; IPL stars Riyan Parag, Nitish Reddy get maiden BCCI call

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Monday announced the 15-member squad for Zimbabwe tour of five T20 Internationals beginning on July 6, with major names including Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli dropped.

Indian opener Shubman Gill will be leading the Men in Blue against the hosts.

Notably, Nitish Reddy, Riyan Parag, Abhishek Sharma and Tushar Deshpande have received their maiden call up for national side, after impressive performances in the now concluded Indian Premiere League (IPL) 2024.


Senior players like Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav, who are a part of the ongoing World Cup, have been rested for the series against Zimbabwe.

Here's the full squad: Ꮪhubman Gill (Captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Abhishek Sharma, Rinku Singh, Sanju Samson (WK), Dhruv Jurel (WK), Nitish Reddy, Riyan Parag, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, Khaleel Ahmed, Mukesh Kumar, Tushar Deshpande.

India vs Zimbabwe Schedule:

IPL stars in focus

Abhishek Sharma:
Abhishek finished as the 10th-highest run-scorer, amassing 484 runs in 16 matches at an average of 32.26 and an impressive strike rate of 204.31. He notched three half-centuries, with a highest score of 75*, and smashed 42 sixes throughout the season. Forming a formidable opening partnership for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) with Australian opener Travis Head, their aggressive style was pivotal in SRH’s journey to the final, where they were ultimately defeated by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). Additionally, Abhishek is a valuable spin bowler.

Riyan Parag:
Riyan, another versatile all-rounder, excelled both with the bat and ball. Promoted to number four by the Rajasthan Royals (RR) management after years of underperformance lower in the order, he delivered by scoring 573 runs in 16 matches at an average of 52.09 and a strike rate exceeding 149, including four half-centuries. His highest score was 84*. Riyan’s consistent performances were instrumental in RR’s qualification for the playoffs.