New Delhi, Aug 13 : The India men’s cricket team, led by opener KL Rahul set off for Zimbabwe on Saturday morning ahead of the three-match ODI series, which begins on August 18.Then, there will be two additional games on the 20th and 22nd of August at Harare Sports Club.
Harare Sports Club.Social media profiles of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) displayed images of Prasidh Krishna, Deepak Chahar, Shikhar Dhawan, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Rahul Tripathi in the flight.
NCA director VVS Laxman was seen and it is possible that he could be the head coach for the ODI series against Zimbabwe.
While the Indian team was in England for the fifth Test, which was rescheduled in Edgbaston, Laxman was with the T20I team as head coach in Ireland and was present at the first T20I at Southampton as well.
India will be in the series following beating West Indies 3-0 in Trinidad in July.Zimbabwe to their left, however, are currently on high after a stunning victory in the series by 2-1 against Bangladesh in their home stadium, which came after a victory in the series by 2-1 in T20Is.
The series is a part of the ICC World Cup Super League and is crucial for Zimbabwe in order to finish in the top eight of the table.If this occurs, Zimbabwe will be eligible for direct entry into the ODI World Cup in India next year.
India are automatically been able to qualify for the mega event due to the fact of hosting the event.
India will be led by Rahul who was named to the team on the 11th of August.
He will assume the leadership role in the place of Shikhar Dhawan who was previously appointed as captain, and is now Rahul’s deputy.
Rahul has been absent of cricket since playing in the IPL 2022 Eliminator on May 25 in Kolkata.
His team, the debutants Lucknow Super Giants, lost to Royal Challengers Bangalore by 14 runs at Eden Gardens.
Rahul was then appointed captain of the five-match T20I series in the home ground against South Africa in June.
However, a groin strain on the day of the first game in New Delhi ruled him out of the series.The surgery for a sports hernia in Germany resulted in Rahul was out of England and Ireland tours as well.
He was expected to return for India’s T20I series against West Indies, but a positive Covid-19 test prior to the start of the tour was the reason he was not included in tour to the Caribbean.However, with T20 World Cup in Australia nearing, Rahul is now fully ready to be back in game in the ODI series for India in the ODI series against Zimbabwe and Zimbabwe, which will be then the Asia Cup in the UAE beginning on August 27.
The ODI series against Zimbabwe also mark Chahar’s return to the Indian team after almost six months.Chahar was suffering from an injury to his right quadriceps while playing for India in the final T20I against West Indies at Kolkata and was exiled of the following T20I series against Sri Lanka.
When he was at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) to further manage and recover of the injury Chahar suffered a back injury that ruled him out of playing in the IPL 2022 for the Chennai Super Kings.Rahul Tripathi has been awarded his first ODI call-up, after being part of India’s T20I squad for the Ireland tour.
Kuldeep Yadav also in the squad following his recovery from an injury to his hand.He was a part in the fifth T20I against the West Indies.
India’s squad for 3 ODIs: KL Rahul (Captain) Shikhar Dhawan (vice-captain), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shubman Gill, Deepak Hooda, Rahul Tripathi, Ishan Kishan (wicket-keeper), Sanju Samson (wicket-keeper), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Avesh Khan, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj, Deepak Chahar.
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