Gill-led new-look Team India lands in Harare for T20Is against Zimbabwe

A young Indian cricket team led by skipper Shubman Gill and with National Cricket Academy chief VVS Laxman as coach arrived here to play a fivematch IND vs ZIM T20I series beginning July 6The team was seen exiting the airport with their luggage in a video posted by Zimbabwe Cricket on X The entire squad had departed from Mumbai on Tuesday while Gill who was a travelling reserve with the T20 World Cup side in the Americas arrived here from New York after a breakWe welcome T20 World Cup champions India wrote ZC on Tuesday night in a post on XIts coming home TeamIndia pictwittercomPxx4KGASb8mdash BCCI BCCI July 3 2024Young toporder batter Riyan Parag who will be making his India debut in the series said in a video posted by BCCI that he had a childhood dream of travelling like this with the national sideThe feel of donning India jersey travelling with the side is different Coming from Assam I had this dream of playing for India Really happy There will be a special connection for Zimbabwe when I play my first matchThat will be a special moment for that ground and myself which would be very sacred he saidAfter misplacing my passport to phones we are finally here after a 20 hour journey Now really looking forward to the tour Parag addedAnother newcomer medium pacer Tushar Deshpande said the feeling of being in the national setup is slowly sinking in and its like a dream come true for me Playing for the country is a very special thingAlso ReadLegends depart doubts lingerTravelling with the team is the most important and getting to know them knowing the atmosphere of the team and most important for me is the fun we have during travel added DeshpandeBighitting lefthander Abhishek Sharma said from the day he started playing cricket he had only one dream which was to play for the countryI know if I continue working hard I will get an opportunity but I didnt know I will get it outside India in Zimbabwe I got a call from skipper Shubman after my name was announced in the squad Everyone has been giving me so much of affection For me it was a very big thing added SharmaWhen I reached home after my name had been announced I saw my family members giving interviews So I think that was one moment I will always remember he saidIndia will play their opening match against the Sikandar Razacaptained Zimbabwe on July 6 at the Harere Cricket Ground The remaining four games will also be played at the same venue The series will conclude on July 14T20 World Cup travelling reserves Sanju Samson and Yashasvi Jaiswal along with allrounder Shivam Dube were slated to join the Zimbabwebound group but are stranded in Barbados due to hurricane BerylSai Sudharsan Jitesh Sharma and Harshit Rana were on Tuesday named as replacements for trio in the Indian squad for the first two matches of the seriesSamson Jaiswal and Dube along with the other senior players will be arriving in India aboard a charter flight on Thursday morning The players will later be felicitated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New DelhiPacer Khaleel Ahmed and batter Rinku Singh travelling reserves for the T20 World Cup are also currently in BarbadosThe BCCI has not named replacements for the duo even though they are in the squad for IND vs ZIM T20I seriesWith agency inputs