The BCCI announced a 15-member squad for India's upcoming three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe, set to begin on July 23 in Harare. While the selectors have rewarded several young performers with opportunities, a few notable omissions have left fans and experts surprised.
With senior players like Sanju Samson, Axar Patel, and Arshdeep Singh missing out, the squad features plenty of fresh faces. However, considering recent performances and the need for experienced campaigners in the dressing room,
a few established names also had a strong case for a recall.
Here are 3 players who deserved a comeback in India's T20I squad for the Zimbabwe series:
3. Mohammed Siraj
A seasoned campaigner for India over the years, Mohammed Siraj, deserved to be a part of India’s T20 squad against Zimbabwe. The right-arm pacer had a good run in IPL 2026 with the Gujarat Titans, picking up 19 wickets in just 17 matches with an economy rate of 9.06. He also bowled the joint-most number of dot balls in the season dominated by batters, showing his ability to stem the flow of runs from one end.
He could have been a handy option to have in this three-match T20I series. There is a clear lack of experience in India’s announced squad, and Siraj could have been a solid option to have, especially when it comes to guiding the younger crop of pacers. He last played a T20I game for India during India’s opening game of the T20 World Cup 2026 against the USA.
2. Bhuvneshwar Kumar
The second-highest wicket-taker of the 2026 season of the IPL, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, played an instrumental role in Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s title defence. The right-arm pacer, away from the team since 2023, showed his class throughout the tournament, picking up 28 wickets in just 16 matches, with a bowling average of 17.89.
After a stunning season with RCB, many believed that the veteran pacer could make a sensational comeback into the Indian team, but the selectors have not called him up for any T20I assignments post IPL. He last played a T20I match for India on November 22, 2022, against New Zealand and is yet to make a comeback. The selectors could have picked him up instead of a few young pacers for the Zimbabwe tour.
1. Suryakumar Yadav
Despite leading the Indian team to their third T20 World Cup title as a captain, Suryakumar Yadavwas shockingly dropped from the Indian team when the team was announced for India’s tour of Ireland and England. The selectors cited his poor run with the bat as the main reason for his removal from the national side, with Shreyas Iyer leading the charge for the Men in Blue.
After his removal, the Mumbai batter was seen grinding it out in the recently concluded T20 Mumbai 2026, where he scored 163 runs in just five innings, with a stunning strike rate of 175.27. Team India seemed to struggle in the middle-overs in a series against Ireland, and Suryakumar can still fill in that spot with his invaluable presence in the middle in a three-match series against Zimbabwe.
