India take on Zimbabwe in the first match of the five-game T20I series between the two teams. The game will take place at the Harare Sports Club in Harare, Zimbabwe, on Saturday, July 6. While India have named a young squad to take the hosts on, Zimbabwe will play with a full-strength squad.
India know they can beat their opponents if they challenge them well enough and push them outside their comfort zones. They have many quality players in their ranks who have been picked for their stupendous performances in the IPL this season.
Zimbabwe know that they cannot take this young-looking Indian side lightly by any means and will have to be at their very best to beat them. The home team have quite a few good batters in their ranks, and it will be interesting to see how they cope with the challenges thrown their way.
Predicted Squads
ZIM: Jonathan Campbell, Diyon Myers, Sikandar Raza (c), Innocent Kaia, Milton Shumba, Wesley Madhevere, Brian Bennett, Clive Madande (wk), Wellington Masakadza, Blessing Muzarabani, Richard Ngarava.
IND: Shubman Gill (c), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sai Sudharsan, Riyan Parag, Abhishek Sharma, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Washington Sundar, Mukesh Kumar, Avesh Khan, Khaleel Ahmed, Ravi Bishnoi.
Key Players
Sikandar Raza (ZIM): All-rounder Sikandar Raza is among the most well-known players across the world for the versatility he offers. He knows that if he does well against India in this series, he will be rated highly. He can chip in with his handy off-spin along with his top-class batting.
Shubman Gill (IND): Skipper Shubman Gill, entrusted with leading the side in this series, hopes to have a good time with the bat at the top of the order. This should give him good exposure since he was not a part of the T20 World Cup squad.
Match Prediction
India are the downright favourites to win this game, and we expect them to do so comfortably. Zimbabwe may have the home advantage, but they do not have as much skill as the Indians, although the latter lack experience. It is not going to be easy for the Zimbabweans to compete against the Indians on a level footing.