xtratime Logo

Xtra Time Web Desk: Shubman Gill, India's captain for the five-match T20I tour of Zimbabwe, has confirmed that he will be opening the batting with his Punjab state-mate Abhishek Sharma. Gill, leading the Indian side in the series, announced that Ruturaj Gaikwad will bat at number three in the series opener at the Harare Sports Club on Saturday.

With the next edition of the T20 World Cup to be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka in 2026, the T20Is against Zimbabwe mark the beginning of a new two-year journey for the reigning world champions in the shortest format.

“Abhishek will open with me, and Ruturaj will play at number three. Rohit bhai and Virat bhai had opened in the World Cup, and I also open in the T20s. So, I think I would like to open in the T20s,” said Gill in the pre-match press conference. Gill, along with the India debutant Abhishek, will be staking an early claim to fill the gap left by the T20I retirements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli after India won the T20 World Cup in Barbados last month.

Read More: Euro Cup 2024: Ronaldo loses to fate again; France defeats Portugal in penalty shootouts to reach the semis!

Addressing the expectations and pressures of following in the footsteps of legends, Gill remarked, “I think there is always pressure and expectations. But what I think Virat bhai and Rohit bhai have achieved, if I try to reach that, it will be very difficult for me. Every player has his own goals. So there is a lot of pressure. If you want to reach where other people have reached, then you have more pressure. But what they have achieved or what they have done for India, there is no pressure in that, because they are both idols and legends of Indian cricket.”

Gill also highlighted the pressure of performing well in Zimbabwe, stating, “In terms of what we want to achieve as a team, there is definitely pressure. There is always pressure whenever you play because there is pressure to perform in every match or tournament that you play. But in terms of this being the match of a new cycle, we want to do well as a team, and that is the pressure there for us.”

Apart from Abhishek Sharma, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Tushar Deshpande, B. Sai Sudharsan, and Harshit Rana (for the first two matches only) are the newcomers in India's T20I team, coached by National Cricket Academy (NCA) head VVS Laxman.

“Yes, there is definitely a lot of excitement, because there are a lot of young players who will be playing for the first time. It is always exciting when you see new players making their debut and doing well. So in terms of that, yes, there is a lot of excitement in the team to be able to come here and do well,” said Gill.

Gill further emphasized the objectives of the series, “If you look at the team, it's quite different from the one that played in the World Cup. There are a lot of young players, including myself. Our aim for the series is to give them more international exposure and experience.”

Read More: Euro Cup 2024: Spain beats Germany 2-1 in a neck to neck fight at the quarter-finals!

He also acknowledged the challenging conditions in Harare and the strength of the Zimbabwe team, led by Sikandar Raza. “The conditions will be very challenging, as everyone is coming from different time zones. But we have been practicing here for two or three days. I think Zimbabwe has a good T20 team. The last time we played in the ODIs, the final match was quite close. We know that it's going to be no different. The way Zimbabwe will come against us is going to be a challenge.”

Gill, captaining India for the first time at the international level, believes his experience leading Gujarat Titans in IPL 2024 will help him. “I learned a lot of lessons when I captained my IPL team for the first time. Most challenges as a captain are more mental. It's about preparing the boys because everyone's got the skill set. It's about giving them the confidence to deliver that skill set on the field.”