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Follow UsWhile the timing of the series might have seemed off, considering there wasn’t too much gap between the successful T20 World Cup 2024 win and the start of the first T20I between India and Zimbabwe, the timing was actually perfect from a succession narrative.
The departure of the trio — Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja — gave the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) the perfect opportunity to test the waters with the up-and-coming crop of cricketers.
Here’s what they would have learned from the outcome of the series.
Jaiswal confirms his spot as the opener
It is still puzzling how Yashasvi Jaiswal, the most destructive opener in world cricket, didn’t get a look in during India’s victorious T20 World Cup 2024 campaign. But Rohit and Kohli's departures have opened up two valuable spots at the top.
That’s exactly where Jaiswal has swooped in to confirm his future. The left-handed opener just played the three T20Is, given that he was with the rest of the World Cup-winning team back in Mumbai for the celebration. But in that limited opportunity, Jaiswal absolutely tormented the Zimbabwean bowlers like they would have never seen before.
With 141 runs and a strike rate of 165.9, Jaiswal showed a gear that the others struggled to get to. On the other hand, his opening partner, Shubman Gill, struggled to find his feet despite being the highest run-scorer in the series. If it boils down to one of the two, it would be safe to say that Jaiswal has edged ahead of him.
Gaikwad shows class despite being out of position
When India’s squad for the Zimbabwe tour was out, several expected to see Ruturaj Gaikwad at the top of the order. But in a squad that had several openers, the Chennai Super Kings skipper was pushed lower down the order. Both at No.3 and No.4, Gaikwad showed great control and versatility.
At No.3, the Maharashtrian batter scored 84 off 56 deliveries across two games, including an unbeaten 77, a knock that was overshadowed by Abhishek Sharma’s century. In the fourth T20I as well, it was Gaikwad’s blade that provided India with the much-needed flourish when he scored 49 in just 28 deliveries, smashing seven boundaries during his stay at the crease at No.4.
Despite batting out of position throughout the series, Gaikwad ensured that his strike rate — 158.3 — never dipped.
Sanju Samson strengthens his case for future
While the future of India’s top order might still be muddled, India’s wicketkeeping conundrum can *safely* be put to an end after Sanju Samson’s showing in the fifth T20I. His feisty nature with the bat has always been highlighted for the reels, but this series was more than that for Samson; it was about exhibiting his maturity.
Prior to this series, Samson had scored just a fifty in his T20I career and, more often than not, was just a passing presence in the Indian setup. But here against Zimbabwe, Samson showed quite a different side to his game, with a 45-ball 58. Before you talk about his strike rate, the circumstances here were quite tough.
Not only was it a slightly sluggish surface, but India had also lost wickets in heap. That’s where his 58 and wide range of shots could come in handy for the Kerala wicketkeeper. Given that the other wicketkeepers in the country are struggling to keep pace with either Rishabh Pant or Samson, these duo could serve the country for the years to come.
Performance > Talking, Bishnoi’s way
Ravi Bishnoi has let his performance do the talking.
The legspinner picked up ten wickets in the entirety of IPL 2024, where he averaged 38.30. Had he been economical, all those concerns surrounding his average wouldn’t have been highlighted. His poor IPL also meant that he was dropped from India’s T20 World Cup squad.
But Bishnoi uttered no words. He worked on his own game and showed the entire world that writing him off this early was a costly mistake. The leg spinner finished the series with six wickets while still maintaining an economy of 5.6, including best figures of 4/13 on the tour.
That, alongside Washington Sundar’s stellar series (8 wickets @11.6 and ER 5.2), could be the best thing to come out of the series for India.
Avesh Khan sparkles in limited game time
One other thing that India have struggled with recently is finding a bowler who can hit the back of a length. That’s where the emergence of Avesh Khan could cheer the management. The Madhya Pradesh pacer was a thorn for the Zimbabwe side, with six wickets in the series.
Forget the numbers for once. Just look at the areas where he has attacked the Zimbabwean batters in the series. While Mukesh Kumar might have walked away with the wickets in the final T20I, Avesh’s impact will always be profound.
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