"The seniors have retired, it's our time now"- Ravi Bishnoi after India's shambolic loss to Zimbabwe

Young leg spinner Ravi Bishnoi opened up about the absence of senior players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravindra Jadeja after losing to Zimbabwe in the first T20I of the ongoing series. Ravi Bishnoi stated that the new generation should take responsibility for taking the Indian cricket team forward.

The Men in Blue had a disappointing start in T20I after winning the recently concluded T20 World Cup 2024. The Indian team didn't field any members of the World Cup-winning team. The Shubman Gill-led team was stunned by Zimbabwe as they lost the series opener by 13 runs in Harare on Saturday, July 6.

The Shubman Gill-led Indian team failed to chase down a 116-run target during the series opener. The Men in Blue were bowled out for 102 runs in 19.5 overs during the run chase. None of India's top six batters reached double figures except for Shubman Gill, who scored 31 runs off 29 balls with five boundaries.

It's Time For New Players - Ravi Bishnoi

In the post-match press conference, Ravi Bishnoi highlighted the need for young players to step up for Team India following the retirements of senior players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravindra Jadeja.

“It’s time for new players. The senior players are retired and handed over the mantle to us. It’s our responsibility to take the flight ahead,” Bishnoi said after losing to Zimbabwe during the series opener.

Shubman Gill won the toss and opted for India to field first. Ravi Bishnoi dismissed Brian Bennett with a superb googly on the first ball of his spell. Bishnoi went on to dismiss Wessly Madhevere, Dion Myers, and Luke Jongwe. He finished his full quota of overs with his career-best figures of 4-2-13-4 in T20Is.

Shubman Gill’s Captaincy Is Very Good - Ravi Bishnoi

The 23-year-old spinner praised Shubman Gill's leadership despite the loss. Bishnoi stated that Shubman’s bowling changes were spot on and added that they will bounce back strongly in the next match against Zimbabwe.

“Shubman’s captaincy is very good. His bowling changes were spot on, it’s a sign of good captaincy,” Bishnoi added.

“We are trying our best and we need to bounce back stronger. We just need to come back tomorrow (Sunday) with a fresh mind for the second match,” he continued.

It Was A Good Game Of Cricket - Ravi Bishnoi

Ravi Bishnoi acknowledged that the Indian batters failed to form partnerships during the run chase. He noted that India struggled with losing wickets in succession, which prevented them from gaining momentum. Bishnoi stated that Zimbabwe’s bowling and fielding were really good.

“It was a good game of cricket, but we collapsed, lost continuous wickets. A partnership would have made the game better for us. We could not do that. I think that made the difference. Zimbabwe’s bowling and fielding were really good. They did not allow us to build partnerships,” Bishnoi further added.

The second T20I match of the five-match series will be played at the Harare Sports Club in Harare on July 7, Sunday. Young players need to prove themselves in the next match to cement their place. Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson, and Shivam Dube will return to the team for the third match after being rested.

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