A new era for Indian cricket begins as a youthful squad, led by Shubman Gill, embarks on a tour of Zimbabwe for a five-match T20 series starting July 6th. This series serves as a platform to discover future stars, with established veterans like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli biding adieu to the format.
Fresh off their T20 World Cup victory, India is ready to hit refresh. Gill, a reserve player in the World Cup squad, will lead a team brimming with IPL talent. This would also be the first match of the post Rahul Dravid era, with VVS Laxman taking charge (only temporarily).
The squad is a reflection of the standout performances in IPL 2024. In-form Riyan Parag and Abhishek Sharma earned their call-ups on the back of impressive IPL seasons. This series presents a golden opportunity for these youngsters to stake their claim for a permanent spot in the Indian T20 setup.
India vs Zimbabwe head-to-head
| Matches Played | 8 |
| Matches Won (IND) | 6 |
| Matches Won (ZIM) | 2 |
| No Result | 0 |
| Tie | 0 |
| Win % (IND) | 75.00 |
| Win % (ZIM) | 25.00 |
Unsurprisingly, Team India boasts a phenomenal head-to-head record against Zimbabwe. Out of the 8 T20Is, India have bagged six games, losing just twice. The only two defeats for India came in 2015 and 2016. However, the last time these two teams met in the format came during a T20 World Cup 2022 game at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground.
India vs Zimbabwe Team News
A new cycle begins for India, who will play as many as 34 T20Is before defending their T20 championship at home in 2026. With this in mind, BCCI will look how the newly-named youngsters will fare. An exciting opening duo of Gill and Abhishek alongside the likes of Gaikwad, Parag, and Rinku Singh will form an aggressive Indian batting order. Khaleel Ahmed and Mukesh Kumar will be sure shot starters but Harshit Rana could also be in the mix.
For the first two T20Is, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, and Yashasvi Jaiswal won’t be available, with Sai Sudharsan, Jitesh Sharma and Harshit Rana being their substitutes.
For Zimbabwe, all the eyes are certainly going to be on talisman Sikandar Raza. The Zimbabwe captain is one of the top five ranked all-rounders in both the white-ball formats, and will hold a massive key for the hosts. One should also look at Brian Bennett. Bennett has been in great form off late and bats at number three and also is a decent right-arm pacer.
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India vs Zimbabwe Pitch report
While day matches typically offer assistance to fast bowlers early on, the afternoon start for this game means the moisture content in the pitch will be minimal.
This translates to a flat wicket with consistent pace and bounce, ideal for stroke-makers. Batters can expect a comfortable time at the crease, with the opportunity to accumulate big scores. However, pacers who rely on raw pace might find limited success.
Spinners, on the other hand, might find some assistance later in the innings as the match progresses. Historically, the average run rate at Harare has been a healthy 7.65, further emphasizing the batting-friendly nature of the surface. The average first-innings score here is 156.
India vs Zimbabwe Weather Report
The weather is going to be all well for the 1st India vs Zimbabwe T20I. There is no predicted rain as of yet and the temperature is expected to hover around 24 degree Celsius during match hours, i.e., 1 pm Local. The average humidity is going to be around 17 percent as well.
India vs Zimbabwe Predicted XIs
India Predicted XI
Shubman Gill (Captain), Abhishek Sharma, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Riyan Parag, Rinku Singh, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan/ Harshit Rana, Khaleel Ahmed, Mukesh Kumar
Zimbabwe Predicted XI
Tadiwanashe Marumani, Innocent Kaia, Bennett Brian, Wessly Madhevere, Sikandar Raza (C), Clive Madande, Campbell Johnathan, Luke Jongwe, Wellington Masakadza, Richard Ngarava, Blessing Muzarabani
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