Playing T20I cricket for the Indian team is the dream of every youngster who decides to make a career in the world of cricket. The Men in Blue have enormous fan following, and even if they play against lower-ranked teams, fans turn up in large numbers to watch the games. Zimbabwe have hosted India for many tours, and most of the matches have been won by the Men in Blue even though they do not play with their first-choice squad.
BCCI generally sends B teams to Zimbabwe, where some young players get an opportunity to play for the first time. Currently, a B team of India led by Shubman Gill is on a tour of the African nation, where debutant Abhishek Sharma’s splendid century helped the Men in Blue win the second T20I.
While multiple youngsters have already made their debut on this tour, they must keep in mind that the following four players made their debut on a tour of the African nation but never played again after that.
1. Faiz Fazal played his only ODI against Zimbabwe
Vidarbha’s left-handed batter Faiz Fazal scored heaps of runs in domestic cricket. He finally received a call-up to the national squad in 2016 and even made his ODI debut against the African side in 2016. Although he scored a half-century on debut, Fazal never played for India again.
2. Rishi Dhawan played his only T20I against Zimbabwe
Rishi Dhawan played a solitary T20I for India, and it was in 2016 against the African nation only. India lost that match by two runs. Dhawan went for 42 runs in his spell and later scored one run off two balls.
3. Barinder Sran
Left-arm fast bowler Barinder Sran took a four-wicket haul on debut against the African side. He even got another game in that series, but after the tour ended, Sran was never seen in India’s T20I jersey again.
4. Dhawal Kulkarni
Another pace bowler to feature on the list is Dhawal Kulkarni. The former Indian pacer played two T20Is like Sran, with both coming against the African nation in 2016. He is now playing for India Champions in World Championship of Legends.
