Ajinkya Rahane Questions Sanju Samson's Exclusion from T20I Squad for Zimbabwe Tour

Rahane's Support for Samson

Ajinkya Rahane, the Indian cricketer, voiced his astonishment regarding the exclusion of wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson from the T20I team set to tour Zimbabwe. He expressed his hope that the selectors had informed Samson about this decision.

In a recent Instagram Story, Rahane showed his support for Samson, stating his anticipation for the player's return to the national team. He remarked, "I hope there has been some communication with @imsanjusamson. It seems strange that the hero of our recent T20 World Cup victory has been omitted from the T20 squad for Zimbabwe. I look forward to seeing him back in the team soon."

Details of the T20I Squad Announcement

Rahane's comments followed the announcement of India's squad for the T20I series against Zimbabwe, which notably did not include Samson, despite his significant contributions during India's triumphant ICC T20 World Cup campaign.

On July 6, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) revealed the 15-member squad for the three-match T20I series, featuring Ashok Sharma, Prabhsimran Singh, and Yash Thakur, who received their first call-ups to the national team.

Upcoming T20I Series Schedule

The T20I series between India and Zimbabwe is set to commence on July 23. The matches are scheduled as follows: the first T20I on July 23, the second on July 25, and the third on July 26, all to be held in Harare.

Shreyas Iyer will lead the team, while Vaibhav Sooryavanshi retains his position after making his debut during the ongoing five-match T20I series against England. Tilak Varma will serve as Iyer's vice-captain.

India's Squad for the Zimbabwe Tour

The squad includes: 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).