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The BCCI has announced Team India's 15-man squad for the upcoming five-match T20I series against Zimbabwe, which will commence in Harare on July 6. The selection committee's decisions have been met with mixed reactions.
Shubman Gill has been announced as the captain of the squad, following the captaincy experience he accumulated with the Gujarat Titans (GT) in the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL). Plenty of other players have earned their maiden call-ups to the national team.
India's squad for the Zimbabwe T20Is: Ꮪhubman Gill (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Abhishek Sharma, Rinku Singh, Sanju Samson (wk), Dhruv Jurel (wk), Nitish Reddy, Riyan Parag, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, Khaleel Ahmed, Mukesh Kumar, Tushar Deshpande.
Some, however, perhaps didn't merit being part of the contingent. On that note, here are three players who were lucky to be picked in India's squad for the Zimbabwe T20I series.
#3 Washington Sundar
Washington Sundar didn't have much of a role to play for the SunRisers Hyderabad in IPL 2024. He warmed the bench most of the time and was taken to the cleaners when he did play.
That isn't the only reason why Sundar being picked is contentious. There isn't much room for a one-dimensional off-spinner in T20 cricket these days, and the youngster's batting has barely evolved over the last few years.
What role will Sundar play in India's first-choice T20I team? There isn't much scope for him to be part of the main unit, given what he currently offers.
#2 Tushar Deshpande
Tushar Deshpande was arguably the Chennai Super Kings' best bowler throughout IPL 2024. He clocked good speeds and proved effective both in the powerplay and at the death, to a certain extent.
But is Deshpande ready to play for India? He doesn't have any notable skill sets that make him stand out. While he's accurate and can hit hard lengths, he doesn't generate appreciable swing, doesn't have too many variations in his locker, and isn't entirely reliable at the death.
Harshit Rana was an obvious pick ahead of Deshpande, with an extra spinner being an option as well. The 29-year-old can consider himself slightly fortunate to be on the plane to Zimbabwe.
#1 Mukesh Kumar
What do the selectors see in Mukesh Kumar? He has had his moments, especially at the death, but it's hard to see him ever becoming a reliable frontline bowler for the Men in Blue.
Despite that, Mukesh has been consistently picked in the national team's squads across formats. Even in a Zimbabwe tour dominated by youngsters and exciting prospects, the 30-year-old has wormed his way in.
Like Deshpande, Mukesh doesn't have a lot going for him in the shortest format. There were several options India could've tried out ahead of the veteran Bengal seamer, who needs to be moved on from white-ball cricket.
