June 19, 2024 — Young fast-bowling all-rounders Nitish Kumar Reddy and Harshit Rana are set to be selected for India’s five-match T20I tour of Zimbabwe, scheduled from July 6 to 14 at the Harare Sports Club. Sources indicate that Nitish and Harshit, currently attending a camp at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru, are likely to join a squad featuring many fresh faces, including standout performers from domestic cricket and the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Since 2010, India’s tours of Zimbabwe have served as a testing ground for emerging talent. This upcoming tour continues that tradition, with an eye on building a formidable team for the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup, which India will co-host with Sri Lanka.
Nitish Kumar Reddy, representing Andhra in domestic cricket, emerged as a breakout star for Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2024. His big-hitting prowess garnered 303 runs in 13 innings, including two fifties at an average of 33.67 and a strike rate of 143. Additionally, he contributed with his seam-bowling, claiming three wickets and earning the Emerging Player award for the IPL 2024 season.
Harshit Rana, from Delhi, was instrumental in Kolkata Knight Riders’ triumph in IPL 2024, taking 19 wickets in 13 games. His performance earned him a spot on the India ‘A’ tour of South Africa and participation in the Emerging Men’s Asia Cup in Sri Lanka last year. Harshit, who debuted in first-class cricket for Delhi in 2022, also demonstrated his batting skills with a 75-ball century for North Zone against Northeast in the Dileep Trophy quarterfinal in June 2022.
India’s tour of Zimbabwe follows the conclusion of the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup, which ends on June 29 at Kensington Oval in Barbados. This marks the fourth bilateral men’s T20I series between India and Zimbabwe, with previous encounters in 2010, 2015, and 2016.
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