IND vs ZIM: The first T20 international between India and Zimbabwe is all set to get underway on Saturday. Both teams lock horns at Harare Sports Club. It will be a new-look Indian team that don’t have even a single player from the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 winning squad. The Indian team will see new captain Shubman Gill, who will be leading the country in this first game.
Sikandar Raza-led Zimbabwe have been very good at home, and they will challenge the inexperienced Indian side. That will make this series very exciting. The Indian selection committee has picked up some exciting young talents, and a number of players will be making their debuts in this series. But there are some big questions for the Indian team in this tournament.
IND vs ZIM: Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma will open the innings for the first T20I
India have picked a number of openers. Gill is the captain and is expected to open the inning. But apart from the captain, India have Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sai Sudharsan, and Abhishek Sharma in the squad, while Yashavi Jaiswal will join the squad for the last three matches.
However, on the eve of the first IND vs ZIM game, some media reports confirmed the opening pair for the first IND vs ZIM game. A report from RevSportzGlobal confirms that the pair of Gill and Abhishek are likely to open the innings in the first game. Abhishek had an incredible IPL 2024 with the bat, and he set the standard very high for power-hitting.
The Southpaw scored 484 runs at an excellent strike rate of 204.21. He is also a left-hander and will make the left-hand and right-hand combinations at the top of the order. Gill is more of an anchor player, and Abhishek brings his elegant powerhitting to the table. That will leave Gaikwad to bat at No. 3. Notably, Gaikwad also played at No. 3 in the Maharastra Premier League.
This series is very important for India because, with Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravindra Jadeja not available any more in T20Is, a few players from this young side will be taking their places in the team. The ICC T20 World Cup 2026 is scheduled to take place in India, and the team will start their preparation with the first IND vs ZIM clash on Saturday.
Also Read: When and Where to Watch the Five-match India vs Zimbabwe T20I series in India?
