3 players who might be surprise picks in India's XI against Zimbabwe
India's squad for the upcoming three-match ODI series against Zimbabwe has undergone a few changes since initially being announced.
KL Rahul has cleared fitness tests to be declared available for the series and has taken over the reins from Shikhar Dhawan. Washington Sundar injured his shoulder while playing in England and has since been replaced by Shahbaz Ahmed, who received his maiden call-up to the senior side. The Men in Blue have a few other exciting fresh faces in the ODI squad, such as Rahul Tripathi.
India's squad for the Zimbabwe ODI series: KL Rahul (captain), Shikhar Dhawan (vice-captain), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shubman Gill, Deepak Hooda, Rahul Tripathi, Ishan Kishan (wicket-keeper), Sanju Samson (wicket-keeper), Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Avesh Khan, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj, Deepak Chahar, Shahbaz Ahmed.
Here are three players who might be surprise picks in India's playing XI for the Zimbabwe ODI series.
#3 Deepak Chahar
Deepak Chahar has only just returned from a long injury layoff that caused him to miss the 2022 Indian Premier League (IPL) and several other international assignments.
It might be wise for the team management to ease him into the rigors of top-level cricket, and playing a few T20Is before venturing into the 50-over format might be the best course of action for the Rajasthan-born pacer.
However, India's squad composition means that either Chahar or Shardul Thakur must be part of the playing XI to lend some batting depth. Given how the Men in Blue need a powerplay enforcer to complement the middle-over skills of names like Prasidh Krishna and Avesh Khan, the former might get the nod.
Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh and Avesh are certainly capable of bowling with the new ball, but playing all three will significantly dent the batting. Moreover, none of them are outright swing bowlers. Chahar's ability to move the ball prodigiously both ways could help India scalp a few early wickets and put Zimbabwe on the backfoot.
#2 Shubman Gill
Opening the innings in the three-match ODI series against the West Indies, Shubman Gill notched up good contributions in each game in what is undoubtedly his best format. After failing to capitalize on a couple of starts, he fell agonizingly short of a maiden international hundred in the third ODI.
With KL Rahul returning to the side to accompany Shikhar Dhawan at the top of the order, there are rumors floating around about Gill being used at No. 3. The youngster has long been considered a long-term replacement for former Indian skipper Virat Kohli, whose form has suffered a massive dip over the last two years.
Gill has never batted in the middle order for India, so picking him at No. 3 might be a slight surprise. But it's hard to argue against the move, given the options at India's disposal against Zimbabwe and the batter's ability to construct an innings.
#1 Sanju Samson
Sanju Samson has played only four ODIs for India and his average hovers just under 40. He is considered to be more suited to the shortest format of the game because of his propensity to play attacking shots right from the outset and perceived inability to play long innings on a consistent basis. The Men in Blue also have a left-handed wicket-keeping option in Ishan Kishan, who is capable of playing in the middle order.
So the initial signs might not point to Samson making the Indian playing XI against Zimbabwe. However, the Kerala-born batter is in line to build on the slow strides he's been making in international cricket. He scored his maiden ODI fifty against the West Indies last month before throwing his wicket away via a run-out, and with Kishan falling out of favor of late, he might get three games against a relatively weaker opposition to finally make his mark.
Samson hasn't appeared to have the full faith of the selectors over the last two years, so him getting a run of games in the playing XI will be a (welcome) surprise.