In a series of shocking events, the BCCI has announced India's squad for the upcoming three-game T20I series against Zimbabwe. Surprisingly, Sanju Samson, who single-handedly led India to lift the 2026 T20 World Cup has been dropped. However there are several changes other than Sanju as well.
Other than Sanju being dropped, star Punjab Kings (PBKS) opener Prabhsimran Singh has received his maiden India call-up. While teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has managed to find a place in the 15-member squad. Along with Prabhsimran, Ashok Sharma and Yash Thakur have their maiden India call-ups, while Rinku Singh has made a return to the national side.
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Pacer Mayank Yadav has also made his comeback into the Indian setup. The young fast bowler surprised everyone with his raw pace and bounce across domestic cricket and IPL but his injury prone behaviour has slowed his rise.
The entire T20I series will take place in Harare, with the three games set to be played on July 23, 25 and 26.
Why no Sanju Samson?
Sanju Samson played a pivotal role in India's T20 World Cup 2026 triumph and was rewarded with the Player of the Tournament award. However, Sanju has endured a slight dip in his form, as he faced an inconsistent campaign with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) before enduring a disastrous tour of Ireland, where he scored a total of five runs in two games.
Unfortunately, Sanju's struggle continued in the T20I series against England as well. The right-handed batter has managed to score only one run in the first game. Eventually he was dropped from the playing XI and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was given a chance instead.
India's squad for Zimbabwe T20I series:
Shreyas Iyer (Captain), Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma (Vice-Captain), Ishan Kishan (WK), Shivam Dube, Suryansh Shedge, Rinku Singh, Harsh Dubey, Varun Chakaravarathy, Prince Yadav, Yash Thakur, Ashok Sharma, Mayank Yadav, Prabhsimran Singh (WK).