New Delhi. T20 cricket is a game of uncertainties. When the results in the new chapter of captaincy are not as expected, the pressure doubles. Something similar is being seen with Mumbai batsman Shreyas Iyer, who has taken over the command of India’s T20 team and place in the playing eleven in place of T20 World Cup winning captain Suryakumar Yadav. It has been a very painful start for Shreyas Iyer since taking over the captaincy and he is still searching for his first win.
Recently, the Indian team had to face a crushing defeat of 0-2 in the two-match T20 series on the Ireland tour. After this, the team completely disintegrated in the four-match series against England and got wiped out 0-4. After losing two matches in Ireland and four in England, India has lost six consecutive T20 matches under the captaincy of Shreyas Iyer. Due to this shameful record and the uncertain nature of the T20 format, the upcoming series against Zimbabwe cannot be taken lightly.
Zimbabwe’s recent form, expert in upsets
No team would like to make the mistake of considering Zimbabwe as underdogs, especially considering their recent performance this year. During the ICC T20 World Cup held in Colombo in February this year, Zimbabwe stunned the cricket world by causing a major upset by defeating Australia by 23 runs. Due to that defeat, Australia was ultimately eliminated from the group stage. Not only this, Zimbabwe has also defeated strong teams like Bangladesh and Sri Lanka this year. In such a situation, this match will be no less than a big test for the young Indian team which is struggling with form.
India-Zimbabwe Head to Head
If we talk about the history of T20 international matches between the two teams, India has had the upper hand. A total of 14 T20 matches have been played between the two teams so far, out of which India has won 11 matches while Zimbabwe has won 3 matches. In this record, no match has been inconclusive or tied. Even though the statistics may be in favor of India, considering the current form of Zimbabwe and the recent performance of India, this match is expected to be very exciting.
Probable playing XI for first T20
If we look at the possible playing eleven of both the teams, the Indian team will be led by captain Shreyas Iyer, while Tilak Verma will be in the role of vice-captain. Young and talented players like Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Shivam Dubey, Rinku Singh, Harsh Dubey, Prince Yadav, Ashok Sharma and Mayank Yadav can be included in the team.
On the other hand, the command of Zimbabwe will be in the hands of Sikandar Raza. Along with him, Tadivanashe Marumani (wicketkeeper), Brian Bennett, Milton Shumba, Dion Myers, Ryan Burl, Brad Evans, Wellington Masakadza, Blessing Muzarabani, Newman Nyamahuri and Wesley Madhevere can take the field.
India-Zimbabwe pitch report
Talking about the conditions on the match day, the Harare Sports Club pitch is generally known for low-scoring matches. Here the average score of the first innings remains between 151 to 157 runs. In the beginning, there is a natural bounce on the pitch, but as the innings progresses, the pitch becomes quite slow. Apart from this, due to the slow outfield, it is difficult for the batsmen to hit shots only on the strength of power, here timing proves to be very important. Teams that bowl with discipline always have the upper hand on this ground.
India-Zimbabwe Weather Report
In terms of weather, the conditions for the competition are going to be very favorable. There is no threat of rain in Harare on Thursday and the match is expected to be completed without any hindrance. The weather will be slightly cool and pleasant with a temperature of around 30 degrees Celsius and light humidity of 18 percent, which will create a great environment for the players. Now it remains to be seen whether Shreyas Iyer is able to open his winning account with this match or Zimbabwe manages to pull off another big upset.
