Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Set to Shine in India's Zimbabwe Tour

As the Indian cricket team prepares for their tour of Zimbabwe, all eyes are on young talent Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. Following a disappointing series against England, Sooryavanshi, who previously made headlines in the Under-19 World Cup, is set to return to the starting lineup. With a youthful squad and new players making their debut, this tour presents a significant opportunity for Sooryavanshi to showcase his skills and contribute to the team's success. Fans are eager to see how he performs in familiar territory at the Harare Sports Club.

By Narendra Chaudhary Jul 23, 2026, 14:03 IST

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's Opportunity

All eyes are on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi as the Indian cricket team, led by Shreyas Iyer, embarks on their tour of Zimbabwe. This follows a disappointing white-ball series against Ireland and England, where the team failed to secure a single victory in the T20I matches. After scoring 15, 13, and 14 in his three outings against England, Sooryavanshi was replaced by Sanju Samson. With Samson not included in the squad for Zimbabwe, it is likely that Sooryavanshi will reclaim his spot at the top of the batting order.

Having made history as the youngest player to represent India in the second T20I in Manchester, Sooryavanshi will be eager to prove himself on this tour. He has fond memories of the Harare Sports Club, where he scored an impressive 175 runs off just 80 balls during the Under-19 World Cup final at the age of 14. In that innings, he hit 15 sixes and 15 fours, achieving a remarkable strike rate of 218.75.

It will be intriguing to see the final composition of the playing XI. With Ashok Sharma and Yash Thakur receiving their first call-ups, and Mayank Yadav returning to the national side after nearly two years, India will field a youthful pace attack in the absence of regulars like Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh.

India's Predicted Playing XI

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (w), Shreyas Iyer (c), Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Suryansh Shedge, Harsh Dubey, Mayank Yadav, Prince Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi

Squads

India: Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan(w), Tilak Varma, Shreyas Iyer(c), Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Suryansh Shedge, Prince Yadav, Yash Thakur, Ashok Sharma, Mayank Yadav, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Prabhsimran Singh, Harsh Dubey, Ravi Bishnoi

Zimbabwe: Brian Bennett, Tadiwanashe Marumani(w), Dion Myers, Sikandar Raza(c), Ryan Burl, Brad Evans, Wellington Masakadza, Wessly Madhevere, Milton Shumba, Richard Ngarava, Tanaka Chivanga, Blessing Muzarabani, Ben Curran, Tafadzwa Tsiga, Newman Nyamhuri