ZIM vs IND 2024: Why is Riyan Parag not playing third T20I?

Riyan Parag. (Source – Twitter/X)

With the return of the trio of Indian players – Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson, and Shivam Dube – officially joining the squad in Zimbabwe just days before the third T20I on Wednesday, a shift in team equilibrium was anticipated. This change was long overdue, as both Jaiswal and Samson did not get a single game during the victorious T20 World Cup 2024 campaign in the USA and the West Indies, with Dube playing all the eight games, although bowling in only the one against the USA.

After Shubman Gill won the toss and opted to bat, he announced their intention to capitalize on the dampness in the track and expressed confidence in having selected an evenly balanced side. Khaleel returns to the lineup, while Mukesh is being rested. Additionally, Gill revealed that seasoned players Jaiswal, Samson, and Dube will replace Sai Sudharsan, Dhruv Jurel, and Riyan Parag, respectively. These like-for-like replacements are expected to further bolster the Indian lineup for the game.

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Among the notable changes, Parag was definitely one (considering the most vehement IPL seasons he had a few months back – amassing 573 runs in 14 innings), who didn’t get a chance to bat in the second match, had a disappointing performance in the first one. He was dismissed for just two runs after a poorly executed on-the-up drive only reached as far as mid-off.

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“We’ll bat first. Hopefully, the moisture will help us. We’ve got the WC back, Sanju, Jaiswal, and Shivam are in. So is Khaleel, Mukesh rests for this one. We feel we have a balanced side,” stated Gill during the toss.

India’s playing XI in the third T20I against Zimbabwe: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill(c), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sanju Samson(w), Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, Khaleel Ahmed