The victory at the T20 World Cup 2024 was extremely sweet for India. An undefeated run capped off with an enthralling last-over finish saw the Men in Blue end their 13-year World Cup drought. However, now we move on to the next assignment, i.e., a five-match T20I series tour to Zimbabwe. The Indian team has always taken series against Zimbabwe as a platform to try out youngsters to showcase their mettle on the international scene.
Similar is the case this time around as well, with BCCI promoting the IPL 2024 stars by including them in the 15-member squad. With Shubman Gill at the helm, the roster features an array of exciting and budding talents from the country.
The likes of Abhishek Sharma, Riyan Parag and Nitish Reddy were have all been given a reward for their notable performances. Having said that, there were only 15 spots to fill, unfortunately, devoiding some other star performers from a likely spot. On that note, let us look at IPL 2024 stars who were sadly missed out from the squad to face Zimbabwe.
IPL 2024 stars players who missed out from India’s T20I squad vs ZIM
| Players | IPL 2024 runs/wickets |
|---|---|
| Yuzvendra Chahal (RR) | 18 wickets |
| Mayank Yadav (LSG) | 7 wickets |
| Tilak Varma (MI) | 416 runs |
| T Natarajan (SRH) | 19 wickets |
| Harpreet Brar (PBKS) | 75 runs/ 7 wickets |
| Harshit Rana (KKR) | 19 wickets |
| Shashank Singh (PBKS) | 354 runs |
- Yuzvendra Chahal
Despite getting selected for India’s T20 World Cup 2024 campaign, Yuzvendra Chahal failed to get a gig in the entire tournament. Now, it looks like he won’t be the part of India’s plan for the next T20 World Cup cycle as well. Instead of Chahal, the management considered Ravi Bishnoi, who was a regular part of the national team prior to the IPL this year.
In the 15 matches this season for Rajasthan Royals (RR), Yuzi Chahal picked up an impressive 18 wickets at a strike rate of under 20. This was one of the reasons of Rohit Sharma picking him for the World Cup. However, the selectors have looked past him and now his white-ball career hangs in balance.
- Mayank Yadav
There was a time when an air of rush erupted for India to include Mayank Yadav in their T20 World Cup 2024 squad. This came after the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) speedster left a lasting impression with his raw pace. In just four matches, he scalped seven wickets at a phenomenal average of 12.14 and an economy rate of 6.98. He single-handedly won LSG a couple of matches earlier in the campaign, taking two three-fers un his first two games and also bagging the POTM awards.
However, BCCI didn’t rush him to include Mayank in the international setup, a mistake they did with Umran Malik. The Delhi-born lad instead has received a fast-bowling contract from BCCI.
- Tilak Varma
Tilak Varma missed out from being Mumbai Indian’s highest run-getter by just a couple of runs. Ever since his IPL debut in 2022, Varma has been a vital cog in MI’s middle-order. Following his IPL 2023 season, Varma even received his maiden international callup, with him even representing the country in 2023 Asia Cup. However, this time, he was overlooked by selectors.
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- T Natarajan
While India excluded Natarajan from the squad against Zimbabwe, it looks like the T20I team desperately need his services. Nattu excels in dishing out pin-point yorkers, a skill that only a handful of Indian pacers can boast of. Moreover, his left-arm angle also creates an area of uncertainty in most of the batters. A runners-up in this year’s IPL, Nattu had a terrific season, claiming 19 wickets, that too, at a strike rate of 16.21.
- Harpreet Brar
And the options for quality left-arm spin all-rounders adds up for India. Punjab Kings (PBKS) youngster Harpreet Brar, who stormed into the scene by dismissing Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers and Glenn Maxwell in his debut season. Year by year, Brar has continued to impress, and has been a runs-saving option for PBKS. His economy rate this season was just 7.97, impressing with his guile and miserly spells. India have included just two spinners in the series against Zimbabwe, possibly a reason why Brar missed out.
- Harshit Rana
The IPL 2024 champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) were enthralled with the rise of Harshit Rana, who burst onto the scene with a superb campaign. He was the wrecker-in-chief for the Knights, bagging 19 wickets at a great economy rate of 9.08. The 22-year-old bowled with steam and was a superb option in all phases of the game, a type of pacer that the nation team would eye to lock in. A series against Zimbabwe would’ve been a perfect platform for Harshit to showcase his skills further.
- Shashank Singh
Shashank Singh became a late bloomer in the IPL setup but made a huge impact for the Punjab Kings this year. Despite donning the finishers role, the 32-year-old finished the season as his side’s highest run-getter with 354 runs at a phenomenal strike rate of 164.5. The Indian T20I team lacks proper finishers and that is where Shashank could’ve been an ideal pick. Regardless, in an exclusive chat, the hard-hitting dasher himself acclaimed that the exclusion from the squad came as a reality check for him.
India’s squad for Zimbabwe
Ꮪhubman Gill (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Abhishek Sharma, Rinku Singh. Sanju Samson (wk), Dhruv Jurel (wk), Nitish Reddy, Riyan Parag, Washington Sundar. Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, Khaleel Ahmed, Mukesh Kumar, Tushar Deshpande.
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