India and Zimbabwe are set to play the first of their five T20Is in Harare on 6 July, in what will be the first bilateral T20I series between the two teams since 2016.
Not a single player who played for India in their last T20I series against Zimbabwe eight years ago is in the squad named for this tour, which features a plethora of accomplished top-order batters, all of whom will undoubtedly be keen to stake a claim to replace the retiring Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli and become a part of the T20 World Cup champions' best eleven.
There is a lot at stake for Zimbabwe, too. Bilateral series against cricket's elite are a rarity for the African country, which will be desperate to get a couple of wins to re-establish its credentials after failing to qualify for this year's T20 World Cup.
The quality of batters on display is unquestionable, and Wisden has picked out the five batters who are most likely to top the run-scoring charts in the five-match series set to span over the next fortnight.
Shubman Gill
Shubman Gill is cricketing royalty. He has already established himself for India across all formats and is among the country's most well-established and experienced batters, and he has not even turned 25 yet.
His talent is unquestionable; however, so far, his T20I numbers are underwhelming. Excluding his innings of 126 not out against New Zealand at Ahmedabad in February last year, he averages just 16.08.
He will want to beef up those numbers and be in the reckoning to be Kohli's long-term successor for India in the shortest format. If Gill, who is captaining India for this tour, plays to his potential, he could end the series as the top scorer, and by a huge margin.
India's 2024 T20 World Cup campaign ended on a high note, breaking an 11-year trophy drought. Veterans Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli announced their retirement from T20Is after the win.
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) June 30, 2024
Here are five players who could step up to fill their shoes: https://t.co/4ajpYDTmiq pic.twitter.com/m0gOfWu9K6
Abhishek Sharma
In a tournament defined by high scores and batting prowess, the left-handed basher from Amritsar, who turned out for Sunrisers Hyderabad, was the one who turned the most heads during the IPL, earlier this year.
Sharma scored 484 runs at a strike rate of 204.21 – the highest for any player who scored at least 350 runs – and hit 42 sixes – the most in the tournament. What was even more impressive than these numbers was Sharma's consistency throughout the IPL. He crossed 30 in eight of his 16 innings, converting three of those starts to blistering half-centuries.
If he manages to replicate his IPL form on the relatively slower Zimbabwe pitches, he will undoubtedly be up there with the series' top scorers.
Ruturaj Gaikwad
Taking over the captaincy from one of the monumental figures in Indian cricketing history comes with expectations so significant that even the best of players would be forgiven for faltering under the pressure, but not Ruturaj Gaikwad.
Being named MS Dhoni's successor, Gaikwad breached the soaring expectations placed upon him during IPL 2024. Even though Chennai Super Kings failed to reach the playoffs, he ended the tournament as its second-highest scorer, behind only Virat Kohli, with 583 runs from just 14 innings.
He averaged north of 50 and was the glue that held Chennai's batting line-up together. With substantial T20I experience – including an unbeaten 123 against Australia last year – a cool head, and the ability to play the long innings, it should not surprise anyone if Gaikwad tops the run-scoring charts on the 14th of July, after the fifth and final game of the series ends.
Riyan Parag
Riyan Parag has been touted for international success for almost half a decade since he became the youngest player to score an IPL half-century against Delhi Capitals, at just 17.
With Parag, it was never a question of ability but rather consistency. Earlier this year, he displayed categorical dependability for Rajasthan Royals, with only two single-digit scores in 14 innings. He ended the tournament as its third-highest run-getter, just ten runs behind Gaikwad, and with a higher strike rate.
If India lose wickets in the powerplay, it will offer Parag the platform to showcase his batting talents, as he did with masterful consistency for Rajasthan Royals in the IPL a couple of months ago.
Sikandar Raza
Amid a turbulent and underwhelming few years for Zimbabwean cricket, there has been a single, gleaming ray of hope and positivity – captain Sikandar Raza.
The Pakistan-born middle-order batter has developed into one of T20 cricket's handiest all-rounders as he continues to go from strength to strength, adding to his game even now, over a decade after he debuted for Zimbabwe.
In his last T20I, he smashed an unbeaten 72 as Zimbabwe beat Bangladesh, and he has been in very good form for Northamptonshire in the ongoing T20 Blast, too.
If Zimbabwe are to upset India's relatively inexperienced side in a game or two in the next two weeks, Raza will be key – and could even emerge ahead of India's top-order batters as the series' highest run-getter.
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