Team India is gearing up for a five-match T20 series against Zimbabwe, featuring five promising pacers: Khaleel Ahmed, Avesh Khan, Harshit Rana, Mukesh Kumar, and Tushar Deshpande. The big question remains: which three will make the playing XI for the 1st T20I?
Khaleel Ahmed Takes the Spot Khaleel Ahmed, the lone left-arm pacer, is a guaranteed starter for the first T20. His stellar performance in IPL 2024, where he took 17 wickets in just 14 matches, earned him a place in the T20 World Cup reserves.
Avesh Khan Is the Regular Starter Avesh Khan is another bowler with a strong case for selection. He has been in great form over the last two years for India and became a regular starter in T20s. In IPL 2024, Avesh grabbed 19 wickets in 16 matches, making him a key player.
Deshpande Needs to Wait for His Turn Tushar Deshpande, despite his talent, might have to wait for his chance in the first T20I. Although he had a great show in IPL 2024, he might not make it into the starting lineup for India just yet.
The Dilemma Between Mukesh Kumar and Harshit Rana The real battle lies between the experienced Mukesh Kumar and the young gun, Harshit Rana. Harshit earned his spot in the Indian squad due to the unavailability of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shivam Dube, and Sanju Samson for the first two games. In IPL 2024, Rana impressed with 19 wickets in just 13 matches. Meanwhile, Mukesh, with his valuable experience from 12 T20Is for India, might be considered for the last three T20s.
India Predicted XI Shubman Gill (Captain), Abhishek Sharma, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Riyan Parag, Rinku Singh, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, Harshit Rana, and Khaleel Ahmed.
