Harare, July 13: Fast-bowler Tushar Deshpande has been handed his T20I debut as India captain Shubman Gill won the toss and elected to bowl first in the fourth game of the ongoing series against Zimbabwe at the Harare Sports Club on Saturday. India are currently leading the five-match series 2-1 and a win will get them an unassailable lead, while Zimbabwe would be itching to get the victory and make Sunday’s clash a winner-takes-it-all decider.

In 80 T20 games, the Mumbai-based Deshpande has taken 116 wickets and was a member of the Chennai Super Kings side that won the IPL 2023 title, earning the reputation of a bowler able to deliver in any phase of the game. He comes into the India playing eleven for Saturday’s match in place of Avesh Khan.

“Looks like a fresh wicket. There should be something in for the fast bowlers We have given a few too many runs in the last few overs, want to plug that. They were 50 odd for 5 and from then scoring 150, thought we got complacent,” said Gill.

Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza said all-rounder Faraz Akram comes in for spinner Wellington Masakadza in the playing eleven. “It is a fresh wicket. The wicket tends to get slower and slower, so put runs on the board and take it from there.”

“We have a vision for 2026 and these boys need quality game time. Hope we can kick on. Our idea is to fire in all three departments. I am pretty confident, the two bad games are a one-off,” he said.

Playing XIs:

India: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill (c), Abhishek Sharma, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sanju Samson (wk), Rinku Singh, Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Tushar Deshpande and Khaleel Ahmed

Zimbabwe: Wessly Madhevere, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Brian Bennett, Dion Myers, Sikandar Raza (c), Johnathan Campbell, Faraz Akram, Clive Madande (wk), Richard Ngarava, Blessing Muzarabani and Tendai Chatara

(IANS)

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