From Virat Kohli to Sanju Samson: How Zimbabwe became India’s T20I batting outfit

Virat Kohli and Sanju Samson (Agency Pic) When India begin their three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe at the Harare Sports Club on Thursday, the focus will not only be on the result but also on the fresh faces hoping to begin their international journey.Over the years, tours of Zimbabwe have evolved into India’s preferred platform for testing emerging talent in the shortest format. Rather than fielding full-strength teams, the BCCI consistently uses these bilateral series to reward outstanding domestic and IPL performers with their first T20I caps. The numbers underline this trend. A total of 22 Indian cricketers made their T20I debut against Zimbabwe, making the African nation one of India’s most frequent proving grounds for future stars.

2010: Virat Kohli, Ashwin headline India’s experiment in Zimbabwe

India’s tradition of giving away debuts in Zimbabwe dates back to 2010. During the two-match T20I series, Virat Kohli, Ravichandran Ashwin and Naman Ojha made their debuts in the opening match as India secured a comfortable six-wicket win. Kohli remained unbeaten on 26, Ashwin impressed with figures of 1/22 while Ojha managed two runs. In the following match, Amit Mishra became the fourth debutant of the series and returned figures of 1/21.This tour also marked another milestone, Suresh Raina captaining India for the first time in T20Is.

2015: Sanju Samson, Axar Patel make breakthrough in India

Five years later, India again arrived in Zimbabwe with a young team. The 2015 series featured first T20I caps for Manish Pandey, Kedar Jadhav, Stuart Binny, Axar Patel and Sandeep Sharma in the opening game, while Sanju Samson made his debut in the second T20I.Although several batsmen endured modest starts, Axar Patel stood out with an impressive spell of 3/17. Manish Pandey scored 19, Kedar Jadhav 9, Stuart Binny contributed 11 and Sandeep Sharma lost a wicket. Samson scored 19 off 24 balls in his first appearance.On the same tour, Ajinkya Rahane also made his debut as captain in both ODIs and T20Is.

2016: Chahal, KL Rahul join the growing list

India continued this trend in 2016 and provided opportunities for another batch of newcomers. KL Rahul, Mandeep Singh, Jaydev Unadkat, Rishi Dhawan and Yuzvendra Chahal all made their T20I debuts in the opening match. It proved difficult for several players as Zimbabwe posted 170/6. Unadkat, Dhawan and Chahal all endured expensive spells while Rahul was dismissed for a first-ball duck. Mandeep Singh provided one of the few positives with 31 off 27 balls, though India lost the match by two runs.The second T20I saw more debutants. Barinder Sran enjoyed a dream start to his international career, producing figures of 4/10, which remain the best bowling figures by an Indian on a T20I debut. Dhawal Kulkarni also made his debut in this match and took 1/32.

2024: Abhishek Sharma, Riyan Parag headline the latest batch of Indian debutants

India once again used the 2024 tour of Zimbabwe to infuse a new batch of youngsters. Abhishek Sharma, Riyan Parag and Dhruv Jurel made their T20I debuts in the opening match of the five-match series. Sai Sudharsan got his first cap in the second T20I while Tushar Deshpande made his debut in the fourth match.Among the debutants, Abhishek made his mark the most. After a modest start in his first T20I, the left-hander bounced back with a stunning 46-ball century in his second international appearance to showcase himself on the biggest stage. Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Sai Sudharsan and Tushar Deshpande also started their international tours during the series.The tour also marked another major milestone as Shubman Gill captained India for the first time in T20Is. Leading a young side, Gill led India to an impressive 4-1 series win.

2026: Prabhsimran, Ashok, Yash and Harsh wait for their chance

The 2026 tour could once again add new names to the growing list of Indian T20I debutants in Zimbabwe. Prabhsimran Singh, Ashok Sharma, Yash Thakur and left-arm all-rounder Harsh Dubey are all in contention to win their maiden titles for India during the three-match series. After Sanju Samson was left out of the team, Prabhsimran toured as the third opening specialist. While Abhishek Sharma and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi are expected to be India’s preferred opening pair, it remains to be seen whether Prabhsimran will get an opportunity during the series. The pace department also features two uncapped fast bowlers in Ashok Sharma and Yash Thakur. Ashok impressed in IPL 2026, consistently clocking speeds in excess of 150 km/h and delivering the fastest ball of the tournament at 154.7 km/h, which earned him India’s first senior call-up. Thakur, meanwhile, has only appeared in one IPL game for the Punjab Kings, but has long been part of the BCCI’s target pool of players. He also enjoyed an impressive Vijay Hazare Trophy campaign where the selectors rewarded his steady progress with a place in the national team. Harsh Dubey is another uncapped player who could make his international debut in Harare. The left-arm spin-bowling all-rounder featured in 11 IPL matches for Sunrisers Hyderabad, taking 13 wickets while producing a string of impressive performances in domestic cricket to force his way into the national rankings. If any of the quartet make their debut in Harare, they will become the latest additions to a long list of Indian cricketers whose T20I journeys began in Zimbabwe.