Zimbabwe vs India T20Is: Presenting the statistical preview
Shubman Gill will lead a second-string Indian team in a five-match T20I series against Zimbabwe, starting on July 6. Many young guns have a chance to stamp their authorities following the T20I retirements of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravindra Jadeja after India's 2024 ICC T20 World Cup triumph. Meanwhile, Zimbabwe will aim to cause some upsets. Here is the statistical preview.
Harare Sports Club to host all five T20Is
A BCCI media release stated that "India will visit Harare in the first week of July to participate in a five-match T20I series against the hosts." The five T20Is will be held on July 6, 7, 10, 13, and 14, with the Harare Sports Club playing host to these games. Notably, all five T20Is will begin at 4:30pm IST.
Several young names in India's squad
Uncapped stars Abhishek Sharma, Riyan Parag, Tushar Deshpande, and Dhruv Jurel have been rewarded for the incredible IPL 2024 run. Squad: Ꮪhubman Gill (Captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Abhishek Sharma, Rinku Singh, Sanju Samson, Dhruv Jurel, Shivam Dube, Riyan Parag, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, Khaleel Ahmed, Mukesh Kumar, Tushar Deshpande.
Sikandar Raza to lead Zimbabwe
The Zimbabwe selectors have made some tough decisions, leaving out the likes of Craig Ervine and Sean Williams. Antum Naqvi has received a maiden call-up. Squad: 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.
Here's the head-to-head record
India boast six wins and just a couple of defeats against Zimbabwe in T20Is. Seven of these games have taken place in Harare as the head-to-head record is 5-2 in India's favor. The two sides last met in T20Is in the 2022 T20 WC in Melbourne. The Men in Blue recorded a comfortable 71-run triumph.
A look at India's key performers
This will be Gill's maiden leadership assignment in international cricket as he would like to enhance his T20I record. He currently boasts 335 runs at 25.76. Besides him, Jaiswal and Gaikwad are the other T20I centurions in the squad. Rinku averages 89 in T20Is. Pacers Avesh, Khaleel, and Deshpande took 16-plus wickets in IPL 2024. Samson and Parag hammered 500-plus runs in the season.
Here are Zimbabwe's key performers
Naqvi averages 73.42 in List A cricket and expectations are high from him. Skipper Raza boasts 1,947 runs in T20Is besides 60 wickets. Chatara, Muzarabani, and Jongwe have scalped 60 or more wickets in this format for Zimbabwe. Madhevere has over 1,000 T20I runs under his belt as he boasts seven fifties.
Here are the approaching milestones
Raza (1,947) can become the first Zimbabwe batter to accomplish 2,000 T20I runs. He (4,967) can also get to 5,000 T20 runs. Bishnoi is six shy of completing 150 wickets in the 20-over format. Khaleel requires nine scalps to attain the same milestone. Jaiswal is two shy of completing 100 matches in T20 cricket.
