India have once again visited the shores of Zimbabwe as a goodwill gesture between the countries. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has for long used these bilateral series to find the next generation of international players and this time it is no different. The Indian team is set to play their first T20I match of the series on Saturday, 6 July, under the captaincy of young Shubman Gill. It is a win-win situation for both boards as the series is surely expected to grab eyeballs given the very low average-age of the Indian team.
The GT captain is being seen as a long-time successor of Rohit Sharma in all formats of the game and has been given a chance to prove his mettle against a wily T20I side. Zimbabwe might have shockingly missed the T20 World Cup 2024 berth after their loss agianst Uganda, but are fully capable of springing up surprises. Players like Sikandar and Blessing Muzarabani have played in the Indian Premier League and are well-known for their T20 credentials across the world.
There is going to be high expectations from Abhishek Sharma and Riyan Parag, who have been superb in the IPL 2024 season. The Indian team would also like to test out young fast bowling contingent in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh, who have made the T20I spot their own.
India captain Shubman Gill has already confirmed that he and his state teammate Abhishek Sharma are going to open the innings. This will mean a demotion for Ruturaj Gaikwad, who has captained India in the past and also opens for his side in the IPL.
Harare is expected to be a high-scoring venue, and the match might bring a little refreshment for people who love to watch sixes getting hit, especially after the low-scoring T20 World Cup 2024.
The Zimbabwe coach has already spoken in details about India’s batting firepower and has particularly pointed out Shubman Gill and Riyan Parag as two of the most dangerous players in the side. It will be interesting to see how they approach the match in terms of tactics.
ZIM VS IND, 1ST T20I: WEATHER REPORT
Much to the delight of fans, there are no predictions of rain for the first T20I with a forecast of 0% precipitation chances by weather.com. The temperature is expected to range between 24 °C – 25°C during the match time.
ZIM vs IND: WHEN AND WHERE TO WATCH?
Harare Sports Club in Harare will host all the T20Is in Harare. The matches will get underway at 1 pm local time and 4:30 pm IST.
Watch India Tour of Zimbabwe 5-match T20I series from 6th July 2024, 4:30 PM IST onwards, LIVE on Sony Sports Ten 5 SD & HD, Sony Sports Ten 3 SD & HD (Hindi), Sony Sports Ten 4 SD & HD (Tamil & Telugu).
ZIM vs IND: PREDICTED PLAYING XI
India Predicted XI: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill (c), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Riyan Parag, Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Khaleel Ahmed, Harshit Rana/Mukesh Kumar, Avesh Khan.
Zimbabwe Predicted XI: Innocent Kaia, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Brian Bennett, Sikandar Raza (C), Wesley Madhevere, Clive Madande (WK), Luke Jongwe, Wellington Masakadza, Blessing Muzarabani, Tendai Chatara, Richard Ngarava
ZIM vs IND: FULL SQUADS
India: Shubman Gill (Captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Abhishek Sharma, Rinku Singh, Sanju Samson (WK), Dhruv Jurel (WK), Shivam Dube, Riyan Parag, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, Khaleel Ahmed, Mukesh Kumar, Tushar Deshpande.
First two T20Is: Sai Sudharsan, Jitesh Sharma, Harshit Rana.
Zimbabwe: Sikandar Raza (captain), Faraz Akram, Brian Bennett, Johnathan Campbell, Tendai Chatara, Luke Jongwe, Innocent Kaia, Clive Madande, Wessly Madhevere, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Wellington Masakadza, Brandon Mavuta, Blessing Muzarabani, Dion Myers, Antum Naqvi, Richard Ngarava, Milton Shumba.
Source Agencies
