3 surprising inclusions in Team India's squad for ZIM vs IND 2026 T20I series ft. Yash Thakur

× The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the squad for the upcoming three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe, with the biggest takeaway being Sanju Samson's absence from the list. The wicket-keeper is currently part of the squad for the tour of Ireland and England, with an uncertain future ahead of him amid another lean run of scores. Ad However, apart from the wicket-keeper's omission, other massive names have also been rested, given that the Zimbabwe series begins only four days after the culmination of the ODI series against England.

Considering the unavoidable fixture congestion and a crucial tour of Sri Lanka to take place in August, the selectors have introduced some fresh faces into the squad. However, their introduction only adds more confusion to the already indefinite pipeline and hierarchy set in place for spots in the playing XI. On that note, let us take a look at the three surprising inclusions in Team India's squad for the ZIM vs IND 2026 T20I series.

Ad Trending Team India squad for Zimbabwe T20Is: Shreyas Iyer (Captain), Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma (Vice-Captain), Ishan Kishan (WK), Shivam Dube, Suryansh Shedge, Rinku Singh, Harsh Dubey, Varun Chakaravarathy, Prince Yadav, Yash Thakur, Ashok Sharma, Mayank Yadav, Prabhsimran Singh (WK). #1 Prabhsimran Singh Despite two wicket-keepers in the squad in Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson, who were expected to be India's primary option during the ongoing cycle, and a backup in Jitesh Sharma, the selectors have introduced another candidate into the mix in the form of Prabhsimran Singh. Ad The Punjab Kings (PBKS) opener has had a couple of solid Indian Premier League (IPL) seasons under Shreyas Iyer, and has been decent in domestic cricket and for India 'A' too.

However, his inclusion, at this juncture, certainly comes across as a bit of a surprise, but not entirely unjustified. Prabhsimran Singh enters the fray now, keeping the other first-choice top-order batters in check, with a solid IPL 2026 season and some runs under his belt in the tri-series in Sri Lanka for India 'A'. With Team India in the hunt for a potential right-handed option to balance out the left-handed dominant top-order, the PBKS star has a massive opportunity, and the fact that he keeps wickets is a massive boost as well.

Ad #2 Yash Thakur Despite Team India's massive pool of fast bowlers, which comes in handy during such low-profile tours, Yash Thakur surprisingly leap-frogged several candidates, including existing ones in the pipeline and potential prospects, to earn his first-ever call-up. The right-arm pacer had struggled to make it to the Punjab Kings (PBKS) playing XI during IPL 2026, featuring in only one match, where he returned figures of 2-55. Thakur, however, had a solid 2025-26 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) campaign with Vidarbha, where he picked up 18 wickets in just seven matches.

However, his inclusion over in-form players like Rasikh Salam and Kartik Tyagi, who are also adept at variations, with a stellar IPL under their belt, and potential long-term prospects, comes as a shock out of nowhere. Ad A massive tipping point in his favor, however, comes in the form of his recent performances for India 'A' in Sri Lanka. Featuring in both the tri-series and the unofficial Test, he picked up 10 wickets in total during the tour, including a spell of 3-45 in the final.

#3 Mayank Yadav Two years ago, Mayank Yadav received his maiden call-up as a hot prospect who gave no choice to the selectors but to be fast-tracked immediately. However, at present, not only has the novelty worn off, but the pace has also considerably dropped off courtesy a slew of injuries. Ad The Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) took a massive gamble by retaining the young pacer for ₹11 crore ahead of the mini-auction.

Although he recovered from his injuries ahead of the season, he played only four matches, where failed to take a single wicket while conceding runs at an economy of 11.38. With new candidates like Ashok Sharma, Gurnoor Brar, and Kartik Tyagi, capable of bowling at high speeds, Mayank Yadav's recall comes across as a massive left-field move.

Although it is far from a high-stakes series, India have taken a huge risk by going back to Mayank Yadav at a time where another developing and in-form pacer could use the opportunity and the confidence boost. × Was this article helpful? Thank You for feedback Follow IPL Auction 2025 Live Updates, News & Biddings at Sportskeeda.

Get the fastest updates on Mega-Auction and cricket news Quick Links More from Sportskeeda Edited by Gokul Nair The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the squad for the upcoming three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe, with the biggest takeaway being Sanju Samson's absence from the list. The wicket-keeper is currently part of the squad for the tour of Ireland and England, with an uncertain future ahead of him amid another lean run of scores. Ad However, apart from the wicket-