First T20 from 4.30 pm IST; All Eyes on Vaibhav Suryavanshi
Harare: India’s World No. 2 T20 side, currently under the inexperienced and winless leadership of Shreyas Iyer, will be determined to avoid repeating the disappointing results they suffered on their recent tours of Ireland and England when they take on Zimbabwe in the opening match of the three-match T20I series starting today. The first match will begin at 4.30 pm IST.
All three T20 Internationals between India and Zimbabwe will be played in Harare. Interestingly, Zimbabwe’s only three victories over India in T20Is have all come at this very venue, giving the hosts added confidence ahead of the series.
Will Shreyas Iyer Register His First Win as Captain?
India are yet to win a match under the captaincy of Shreyas Iyer. The Men in Blue were whitewashed 0-2 in Ireland before suffering a crushing 0-4 defeat in England. Young opener Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who made his international debut in England but managed scores of just 14, 13 and 15 in his three innings, will once again be under the spotlight as he looks to make a strong impression.
Given India’s recent struggles, Zimbabwe will also be eager to emulate Ireland and England by pulling off another memorable series against the visitors.
India Hold a Dominant Head-to-Head Record
India and Zimbabwe have faced each other in 14 T20 Internationals so far. India have won 11 of those matches, while Zimbabwe have emerged victorious on only three occasions.
Probable Playing XIs
India: Shreyas Iyer (Captain), Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Ishan Kishan (Wicketkeeper), Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Shivam Dube, Harsh Dube, Prince Yadav, Mayank Yadav and Yash Thakur/Ashok Sharma.
Zimbabwe: Sikander Raza (Captain), Brian Bennett, Tadiwanashe Marumani (Wicketkeeper), Dion Myers/Wesley Madhevere, Ryan Burl, Brad Evans, Wellington Masakadza, Milton Shumba, Newman Nyamhuri, Richard Ngarava and Blessing Muzarabani.
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