Sanju Samson included in India squad for Zimbabwe tour; Shubman Gill named captain

MUMBAI: Malayali cricketer Sanju Samson has been included in the India squad that will tour Zimbabwe next month. While senior players such as Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have been rested, Shubman Gill has been named the captain of the team. NCA chief VVS Laxman and his team will be the coaches for the upcoming tour.

The first match of the five-match series will be played on July 6. A 15-member team has been announced. The likes of Rinku Singh, Avesh Khan and Khaleel Ahmed who are in the reserves player list of the T20 World Cup touring party, also have been added to the squad.

Promising young players who have proven themselves in the Indian Premier League and domestic arena over the past 12 months have received multiple call-ups from India.

Aside from the familiar international names, Abhishek Sharma, Nitish Reddy, Riyan Parag and Tushar Deshpande received maiden call-ups on the back of their impressive Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 seasons. The team boasts two spin options in Ravi Bishnoi and Washington Sundar.

Mukesh Kumar, Avesh, Deshpande, and Khaleel front a potent pace attack. Nitish Reddy is another pace-bowling all-rounder who has been fast-tracked; his stellar season with Sunrisers Hyderabad attracted heads.

Indian team: Shubman Gill (captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Abhishek Sharma, Rinku Singh, Sanju Samson, Dhruv Jurel, Nitish Reddy, Riyan Parag, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, Khaleel Ahmed, Mukesh Kumar, Tushar Deshpande