Fast bowler Tushar Deshpande became the 115th player for India in T20 Internationals. The right-arm quick received his debut cap as India squared off against Zimbabwe in the fourth T20I on Saturday in Harare. He replaced Avesh Khan in the playing XI as the visitors looked to take an unassailable lead in the 5-match series.
IND vs ZIM 4th T20I Live Updates
Deshpande was the 4th player to debut in the ongoing series after the likes of Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel and Sai Sudharshan. Speaking with the broadcasters before the start of play in Harare, Deshpande credited his stint with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for his progress.
“Very happy to be here and it all goes back to my childhood days when I dreamed of playing for the country. These three games have been amazing. I was supporting the team. The atmosphere has been great,” Deshpande told the broadcasters.
“Being part of CSK has given me confidence and clarity. The transition from IPL to international cricket took time, but I have hung in there,” he added.
Deshpande further revealed that he started cricket as a batter but eventually, turned into a fast bowler. However, he has been working on his batting skills as well.
“I started as a batsman a long time ago. So it comes naturally. I have been working on it. Overall the atmosphere is very chill and everyone has their freedom to express themselves,” he added.
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.
India win toss vs Zimbabwe
Earlier, Indian skipper Shubman Gill won the 4th consecutive toss this series and opted to bowl. 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.
“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
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