Fans spotted an interesting feature on the team’s shirt, a single star above the BCCI symbol, as India’s second-string squad faced Zimbabwe in the opening Twenty20 International of the five-match series on July 6.
Indian cricket team’s jersey stars have historically stood for the number of World Cup championships won in that specific format.
After a seventeen-year break, Indian won its second T20 World Cup. It’s interesting to note that the Shubman Gill-led Indian team’s matchday shirt lacks the two stars that were present on the squad that carried a victory parade.
The timing of the events explains the single star on the India shirt. Before India’s triumphant campaign in the T20 World Cup 2024, which came to an end on June 29 in Barbados, the second-string Indian squad had already taken a plane to Zimbabwe. The team is sporting jerseys that were created and produced prior to India’s most recent World Cup victory as a result of their early departure.
This scenario also illustrates the logistical difficulties cricket boards have in maintaining team uniforms, particularly when several squads are playing concurrently or quickly after one another. The World Cup final and the Zimbabwe series happened so quickly that new jerseys could not be made and delivered to the team in time.
Those hosting At the Harare Sports Club, Zimbabwe faced India in the opening Twenty20 International of the series. After winning the toss, the visitors chose to bowl first, and India named three debutantes for this encounter. Abhishek Sharma and Riyan Parag made their debuts on the international scene, while Dhruv Jurel made his debut in Twenty20 Internationals.
The initial two Twenty20 Internationals’ team is not the same as the one that was first revealed. The core squad members, Shivam Dube, Sanju Samson, and Yashasvi Jaiswal, are presently in India taking part in T20 World Cup festivities. Following the second T20I encounter, they are anticipated to join the squad.
“We’ll go to bat first. It seems like a nice surface, in my opinion. Later on, it won’t alter much. It has taken a while to arrive. It took us eleven years to win an ICC event. You have certain standards for yourself at all times. Three people are making their debuts. At the toss, Indian captain Gill announced that Sharma, Jurel, and Parag were making their debuts.
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India (Playing XI): Shubman Gill (c), Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, Mukesh Kumar, Khaleel Ahmed, Abhishek Sharma, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Riyan Parag, Rinku Singh, and Dhruv Jurel (w).
Zimbabwe (Playing XI): Johnathan Campbell, Wellington Masakadza, Luke Jongwe, Blessing Muzarabani, Tendai Chatara, Brian Bennett, Wessly Madhevere, Innocent Kaia, Sikandar Raza (c), Dion Myers, and Clive Madande (w).
India
