Shubman Gill-led Team India takes on Zimbabwe in the first T20I of the five-match series, starting July 6, Saturday. Gill has been handed over the duty to lead a young Indian team after the senior players have been rested for the tour. It is worth noting that Rohit Sharma, India’s former captain in T20Is, called time on his career in the format after team’s 2024 T20 World Cup triumph in Barbados last month. The likes of Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja also quit T20Is, giving more youngsters a chance to hone their skills and shine for India.

Here is what we think could be India’s playing XI in first T20I vs Zimbabwe –

Shubman Gill: The star batter will be opening the batting for India and will be having the added responsibility of captaincy.

Abhishek Sharma: The swashbuckling southpaw has been given his much-needed opportunity. He is set to make his India debut in the first T20I after duly impressing in Indian Premier League 2024.

Ruturaj Gaikwad: A reliable batter Gaikwad is set to bat at number 3 spot for India, confirmed Gill on the eve of the game. Gaikwad is among the most experienced players in the squad.

Riyan Parag: The right-handed middle-order batter could make his India debut in the first T20I. He is known for his hard-hitting abilities.

Rinku Singh: The star finisher missed out on a spot in India’s 2024 T20 World Cup squad. Rinku will now aim to continue doing his job for the team in the format.

Jitesh Sharma (wk): The wicketkeeper-batter has failed to impress in the limited opportunities he has got so far. Jitesh has scored only 100 runs in 9 T20I matches. However, his hard-hitting abilities could see him get an edge over Dhruv Jurel.

Washington Sundar: Another experienced campaigner Washington will be aiming to make an impact with his all-round talent. He is a quality right-arm spinner and can also play handy knocks.

Ravi Bishnoi: The leg-spinner could trouble even the best of batters. He is expected to make things really hard for the Zimbabwe batters.

Khaleel Ahmed: After a splendid IPL 2024 season, the left-arm pacer was added to Team India’s list of reserves for T20 World Cup but he got no opportunity to play.

Avesh Khan: The right-arm pacer is an experienced bowler. With so much of competition in India’s main team, Avesh would be eager to make a case for himself.

Mukesh Kumar: For his pinpoint accuracy and discipliine in bowling, Mukesh could get a chance ahead of Harshit Rana and Tushar Deshpande.