The men’s senior selection committee has included Sai Sudharsan, Harshit Rana, and Jitesh Sharma in the India squad for the first two T20Is against Zimbabwe, replacing Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shivam Dube, and Sanju Samson. The latter trio, who were part of India’s 2024 T20 World Cup campaign, remain in Barbados due to the hurricane situation. They will now travel to India with the rest of the squad before heading to Harare.
“The Men’s Selection Committee has named Sai Sudharsan, Jitesh Sharma, and Harshit Rana as replacements for Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, and Yashasvi Jaiswal for the first two T20Is against Zimbabwe.
“Originally slated to join the Zimbabwe-bound squad for the upcoming five-match T20I series starting Saturday, 6th July, the trio will travel to India first with the rest of the ICC T20 World Cup-winning Indian squad before departing for Harare,” read a BCCI media release.
The Indian team’s departure from the Caribbean has been delayed, with the side now set to travel on Tuesday evening (local time) via a direct charter from Barbados to New Delhi. The entire contingent, including players, families, support staff, and BCCI officials, will board the charter. Due to uncertainty over commercial flights, it was decided to bring Samson, Jaiswal, and Dube back to India first.
It would have been too exhausting for the three players to fly back to India and then immediately depart for Harare. The extra days will allow them to rest before the third T20I on July 10, following back-to-back matches for the first two T20Is.
While the Board of Control for Cricket in India did not specify the team’s landing destination, there is a possibility that the squad will arrive in Delhi and meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi. According to reports, the meeting was being arranged by senior BCCI officials and is likely to occur upon the squad’s return to India.