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Former Zimbabwe captain and current Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) head coach Andy Flower has pinpointed five emerging talents from India‘s current T20I squad who have the potential to step into the formidable shoes left vacant by the retirements of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma alongside Ravindra Jadeja following India’s victorious T20 World Cup 2024 campaign. The veteran duo bid farewell to T20I cricket on a high note after India clinched a thrilling seven-run victory over South Africa in the final held in Barbados on June 29.
Emerging talents identified by Andy Flower
With the departure of these senior players, the Indian selection committee, led by Ajit Agarkar, opted for a rejuvenated squad for the Zimbabwe series, appointing Shubman Gill as captain for the first time. Flower, speaking to the Times of India, highlighted Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel, Abhishek Sharma and Riyan Parag as the young guns poised to fill the void. Flower noted that while Jaiswal didn’t feature in the T20 World Cup, his potential remains exceptional. Despite a relatively subdued IPL season, Flower praised Gill for his cricketing acumen and playing style reminiscent of Kohli’s.
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“If I put my IPL coaching hat on, then I’ll have to keep a keen watch on the players. (Yashasvi) Jaiswal didn’t play a single match in the T20 World Cup but he is an incredible option. Shubman Gill, by his standards, had a quiet IPL but he looks a very intelligent player. He plays in a similar way to Virat Kohli,” Flower was quoted as saying by the Times of India.
“I’m looking forward to Abhishek Sharma performing. I really like the look of Dhruv Jurel. Watching him in the Test series against England, he did brilliantly. Riyan Parag has the swagger that you need in international cricket,” Flower concluded.
Abhishek Sharma’s record-breaking century against Zimbabwe
India’s journey in the Zimbabwe series took a turn after a surprising defeat in the first T20I, prompting a strong comeback in the next match with a commanding 100-run victory. This resurgence was fueled by Abhishek’s breathtaking century. Despite a rocky start with a four-ball duck earlier in the series, Abhishek blazed to a century off just 45 balls, becoming the third-fastest Indian and the first to achieve a T20I century against Zimbabwe.
