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Rajat Patidar and Gautam Gambhir (Source: X)
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced India's 15-member squad for the upcoming three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe.
The tour will begin later this month, with all three matches set to be played at the Harare Sports Club on July 23, July 25 and July 26.
Unlike previous Zimbabwe tours, India has named a nearly full-strength squad under the leadership of Shreyas Iyer. The selectors have retained most of the core players from the current T20I setup while also rewarding a few young performers.
However, one selection decision has grabbed the attention of fans more than anything else: no player from Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) has been included in the squad.
The omission has sparked a debate on social media, with many supporters questioning the BCCI and Gautam Gambhir as to why several standout RCB performers failed to earn a place despite impressive performances throughout the IPL season.
No RCB Player picked in the IND vs ZIM T20I Squad
RCB enjoyed another successful IPL campaign by winning their second consecutive title, with several Indian players playing important roles throughout the tournament.
Many fans believed that at least one or two of those performers would receive an opportunity in India's T20I squad for the Zimbabwe series.
The biggest talking point has been the exclusion of RCB captain Rajat Patidar. The Madhya Pradesh batter was one of the standout performers of IPL 2026, scoring 501 runs in 15 matches at an average of 41.75 and an outstanding strike rate of 192.69.
However, Patidar has now been overlooked for the Ireland series, the ongoing England series and the upcoming Zimbabwe tour as well, leaving RCB fans surprised.
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Apart from Patidar, all-rounder Krunal Pandya and fast bowler Rasikh Salam were also considered strong contenders for selection.
Krunal enjoyed an excellent IPL season, contributing 226 runs at an average of 37.66 with a strike rate of 145.80, while also claiming 14 wickets.
Rasikh Salam also impressed with the ball, taking 19 wickets in just 12 matches at an average of 21.32. Suyash Sharma was another player who was expected to be in the selectors’ plans after his consistent performances.
Following the squad announcement, several fans expressed their disappointment on social media, with many questioning why none of RCB's performers had been rewarded despite helping the franchise win back-to-back IPL titles.
India squad for Zimbabwe T20I series: Shreyas Iyer (Captain), Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma (Vice-Captain), Ishan Kishan (WK), Shivam Dube, Suryansh Shedge, Rinku Singh, Harsh Dubey, Varun Chakravarthy, Prince Yadav, Yash Thakur, Ashok Sharma, Mayank Yadav, Prabhsimran Singh (WK).
Major Calls Taken By BCCI For IND vs ZIM T20I Series
The selection committee, led by Ajit Agarkar, also made a few major decisions. Wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson has been left out of the squad, with Punjab Kings opener Prabhsimran Singh being selected as the second wicketkeeper alongside Ishan Kishan.
Shreyas Iyer will captain the side, while Tilak Varma has been named vice-captain.
Rinku Singh returns to the squad, and both Shivam Dube and Suryansh Shedge have also been included. Nitish Kumar Reddy misses out because of an injury.
In the pace department, Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana have been rested. Mayank Yadav returns after recovering from injury, while Yash Thakur and Ashok Sharma have earned call-ups following impressive IPL performances. Prince Yadav has also been included in the squad.
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