Indian batter Hanuma Vihari has questioned selectors for including Mayank Yadav and Yash Thakur for the three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe. Vihari highlighted that both of these players didn’t perform well in IPL 2026.
However, Yash Thakur scalped 18 wickets in Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy 2026. Thakur claimed his wickets from just seven games at an impressive average of 9.88 and an economy rate of 6.80 in the domestic tournament.
The fast bowler played a solitary match for Punjab Kings in IPL 2026 and picked up two wickets.
On the other hand, Mayank Yadav has been troubled with injuries and didn’t bowl near the 150 kmph mark in IPL 2026. He went wicketless in the four IPL matches he played in 2026.
“Mayank Yadav has been brought in. He is injury-prone and did not even play many matches in the IPL. The matches he played, he did not perform well, but he has come in. He is not bowling those 150s anymore either. Yash Thakur also did not perform in the IPL and did not even feature in the playing 11 in many games but is selected in the Indian team, again a shocking inclusion,” Hanuma Vihari said on his YouTube channel.
Along with Yash Thakur and Mayank Yadav, India have also picked rookie bowlers like Ashok Sharma and Harsh Dubey in the team. Sharma scalped 22 wickets in the Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy and also impressed with his pace while playing for Gujarat Titans in IPL 2026.
The first T20I between India and Zimbabwe will be played on 23rd July, whereas the second and third games of the series will be played on 25th and 26th July, respectively, at the same venue.
India squad: Shreyas Iyer (C), Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma (VC), Ishan Kishan (WK), Shivam Dube, Suryansh Shedge, Rinku Singh, Harsh Dubey, Varun Chakaravarthy, Prince Yadav, Yash Thakur, Ashok Sharma, Mayank Yadav, Prabhsimran Singh (WK)
