India Names New Faces for Zimbabwe T20I Series

Dr. Annelies De Vos · 2026-07-07

India have named a 15-player squad for their upcoming T20I series against Zimbabwe, handing debut call-ups to three uncapped players. The series starts July 23 in Harare and gives the team management a chance to test their bench depth. Fast bowlers Yash Thakur and Ashok Sharma have received their first T20I selections. Wicketkeeper-batter Prabhsimran Singh also earns his maiden call-up to the format. Bowling all-rounder Harsh Dubey is part of the squad too. He has played two ODIs for India but is yet to make his T20I debut. Shreyas Iyer will captain the side. The full squad includes Tilak Varma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Shivam Dube, Suryansh Shedge, Rinku Singh, Harsh Dubey, Varun Chakaravarthy, Prince Yadav, Yash Thakur, Ashok Sharma, Mayank Yadav and Prabhsimran Singh. ### Sanju Samson Left Out, Senior Bowlers Rested The squad marks a clear break from the group that played England in the ongoing series. Sanju Samson, who was a key player in that campaign, has not been picked. Frontline bowlers Mohammed Siraj, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana are also missing from the squad, which has opened up space for newer names. Rinku Singh comes back into the T20I fold. He was last seen in the Super Eight match against South Africa during this year's T20 World Cup. Mayank Yadav also returns to the national squad after a period out of the T20I setup. Harsh Dubey, who was recently added to India's multi-format squad for the Afghanistan series, now gets a look-in for the shortest format as well. India are currently 1-0 down in their T20I series against England. The two sides play the final match of that series at Trent Bridge on July 7, just before the Zimbabwe squad assembles. ### India's Cricket History Against Zimbabwe India's last T20I tour of Zimbabwe was in July 2024, when the team won the series 4-1. This time, India travel to Zimbabwe on the back of their T20 World Cup 2026 title, giving the trip added weight even though several first-choice players have been left out. The two sides also met earlier this year during the Super Eight stage of the Men's T20 World Cup 2026 in Chennai. Zimbabwe's Brian Bennett scored an unbeaten 97 off 59 balls in that game, though his effort was not enough to get his side over the line as India came out on top. ### Series Schedule and Squad Depth With this combination, the Indian team management appears to be trying to gauge the strength of their bench through the upcoming series against Zimbabwe before an extremely crowded year in international cricket. The selectors appear to have an interest in fast bowlers as well as finishers in the batting order. India will look to continue their recent dominance over Zimbabwe in the format, while the uncapped players will be aiming to make an impression in their first outings for the national team. The three-match T20I series will be played entirely in Harare. ### Series Schedule - First T20I: July 23, Harare - Second T20I: July 25, Harare - Third T20I: July 26, Harare This series is a chance for India to build depth and for fans to see the next generation of talent. The uncapped players will be eager to prove themselves on the international stage, and the matches promise to be exciting contests.