Team India won the toss and elected to bowl first against Zimbabwe in the first T20I being played in Harare on July 23. India handed a debut to 24-year-old fast bowler Ashok Sharma, while also naming express pacer Mayank Yadav and explosive batter Rinku Singh in their playing XI for the series opener.
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What did the captains say at the toss?
Explaining his decision at the toss, Indian skipper Shreyas Iyer mentioned that while it was his first time playing at the venue, he expected the pitch to carry good bounce based on how the practice tracks were behaving. Iyer praised Zimbabwe for their impressive form in recent years, particularly highlighting their standout performances at the World Cup, and confirmed that India elected to go with a balanced attack consisting of three seamers and a specialist spinner.
On the other hand, Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza took losing the toss in stride, noting that the pitch appeared different from the usual track at the Harare Sports Club. While he anticipated some early assistance for the bowlers, Raza expressed confidence that it would quickly turn into a high-scoring pitch, voicing his hope that his side could set a formidable total for India to chase.
India's Playing XI:
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan(w), Shreyas Iyer(c), Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Shivam Dube, Ravi Bishnoi, Prince Yadav, Ashok Sharma, Mayank Yadav
Zimbabwe's Playing XI:
Brian Bennett, Tadiwanashe Marumani (w), Ben Curran, Dion Myers, Sikandar Raza(c), Ryan Burl, Wessly Madhevere, Brad Evans, Newman Nyamhuri, Richard Ngarava, Blessing Muzarabani
Meanwhile, right before the match, Zimbabwe dealt a major blow as their batter Milton Shumba was ruled out of entire three-match T20I series owing to a right hamstring injury. However, Innocent Kaia walked into Zimbabwe's squad as Shumba's replacement.
IND vs ZIM Head-to-Head
India and Zimbabwe have locked horns with each other 14 times in T20Is. While Zimbabwe have notched three wins, India have registered 11 victories.