After winning the International Cricket Council (ICC) T20 World Cup, India is ready to take on Zimbabwe in the first T20 match of the five-match T20 series on July 6. This match will be played at Harare Sports Club, Zimbabwe.
Teams Overview:
Shubman Gill will lead the Indian side, while Sikandar Raza will lead Zimbabwe.
With senior players Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja retiring from T20I cricket and other key World Cup players resting, a young Indian team will play five T20Is and three ODIs against Zimbabwe. Shubman Gill has been chosen as the captain for the series.
Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson, and Shivam Dube will join the squad after finishing their World Cup duties in the West Indies. They’ll be joined by Rinku Singh, Khaleel Ahmed, and Avesh Khan, the backup players for India’s T20 World Cup team.
Sai Sudharsan, Jitesh Sharma, and Harshit Rana will be part of the team for the first two T20Is. Jaiswal, Samson, and Dube will head home before traveling to Harare.
The series will see young IPL stars Abhishek Sharma, Dhruv Jurel, Riyan Parag, and Tushar Deshpande getting their first senior national call-ups. All-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy, initially named in the squad, had to withdraw due to an injury, and Shivam Dube replaced him.
With Rahul Dravid stepping down as head coach, VVS Laxman will be the interim coach for the Zimbabwe tour. All matches will take place at the Harare Sports Club in Harare.
Zimbabwe has announced the squad of youngsters for the upcoming five-match T20 International (T20I) series against India. The series is scheduled to kick off on July 6 in Harare.
A significant inclusion to the squad is 25-year-old Antum Naqvi. Naqvi has been impressive in domestic cricket, with a strike rate of 146.80 in T20s, an average of 72.00 in first-class cricket, and 73.42 in List A cricket.
New head coach Justin Sammons is guiding the team. Zimbabwe is looking to rebuild after not qualifying for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024. The squad has an average age of 27 and 558 T20I appearances, mixing young talent with experienced players.
Key Players:
India: Ꮪhubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Ravi Bishnoi
Zimbabwe: Sikandar Raza, Brian Bennett, Innocent Kaia, Wellington Masakadza, Dion Myers
Head to Head:
India and Zimbabwe have faced each other on 8 occasions, of which India has won 6, while Zimbabwe has won 2.
Harare Sports Club pitch report:
The surface of this pitch is hard, providing some true bounce to the seamers and some assistance to the spinners in middle overs. This offers equal assistance to both batters and bowlers.
Probable playing XI of both teams:
India’s probable playing XI:
Ꮪhubman Gill (Captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Abhishek Sharma, Rinku Singh, Sanju Samson (WK), Shivam Dube, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Riyan Parag, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, Khaleel Ahmed
Zimbabwe Probable playing XI:
Sikandar Raza (captain), Faraz Akram, Brian Bennett, Innocent Kaia, Clive Madande, Wesley Madhevere, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Jonathan Campbell, Tendai Chatara, Wellington Masakadza, Dion Myers
Live Streaming
1-Streaming on TV
India and Zimbabwe: Sony Sports Network
2-Online Streaming:
India and Zimbabwe: SonyLiv app and website.
Match details:
The first T20 match of the five-match T20 Series between India and Zimbabwe will be played on June 4 in Harare Sports Club. The match will start at 4:00 pm (PST), 4:30 pm (IST), and 11:00 am (GMT).
Match predictions:
India has the best batting and bowling strength with its IPL stars. Some of them have played with their main squad and have massive experience in T20 cricket, like Shubman Gill, who played a lot of T20 cricket. India will win this match easily.
Probable scenarios:
Scenario 1:
IND won the toss and decided to bat first
Power Play: 50-55 runs
First-inning Total: 185-175
IND won the match
Scenario 2:
IND won the toss and decided to bowl first
Power Play: 45-50 runs
First inning total: 140-145
IND won the match
