{"id":195387,"date":"2026-07-22T02:18:20","date_gmt":"2026-07-22T07:48:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?p=195387"},"modified":"2026-07-22T02:18:20","modified_gmt":"2026-07-22T07:48:20","slug":"india-looks-to-arrest-t20i-slide-as-it-takes-on-spirited-zimbabwe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?p=195387","title":{"rendered":"India looks to arrest T20I slide as it takes on spirited Zimbabwe"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n<\/p>\n

Shreyas Iyer will be eager for his first win as India captain while his young team eyes course correction against a spunky Zimbabwe that is expected to fight hard during the short three-match T20I series starting here on Thursday.<\/p>\n

Having lost six out of his first seven T20I games as skipper in series defeats to minnows Ireland and a seasoned England side, the rubber against Zimbabwe gives Shreyas and Co. a chance to get the house in order.<\/p>\n

A series win against Zimbabwe would be the expected outcome, but a defeat could unnerve the dressing room. For this tour, India will have VVS Laxman handling the reins in place of head coach Gautam Gambhir.<\/p>\n

The spotlight will once again chase \u2018Boy Wonder\u2019 Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who is set to open in all three games alongside Abhishek Sharma with Sanju Samson not featuring in the squad.<\/p>\n

The Harare Sports Club ground brings back fond memories for both Abhishek and Sooryavanshi. The Punjab opener made his debut and then scored his first T20I ton here in his second appearance.<\/p>\n

For Sooryavanshi, this is the ground where earlier this year, on February 6, he hammered a hapless England U-19s with a big hundred in the junior World Cup final.<\/p>\n

But this series will have a different context. It was supposed to be an opportunity to experiment for a new-look bowling attack, but has turned into a must-win affair due to recent debacles.<\/p>\n

\"After<\/p>\n
After being dropped for the final T20I against England, Sooryavanshi is set to play the entire series against Zimbabwe alongside Abhishek Sharma.
\n | Photo Credit:
\n Reuters\n <\/p>\n

\"lightbox-info\"\/<\/figcaption><\/div>\n

\n

After being dropped for the final T20I against England, Sooryavanshi is set to play the entire series against Zimbabwe alongside Abhishek Sharma.
\n | Photo Credit:
\n Reuters\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The afternoon games at the Harare Sports Club\u2019s tracks, which always have a bit of juice and carry, can pose problems for most of the Indian batters save skipper Shreyas as they don\u2019t tend to use their feet.<\/p>\n

Blessing Muzarabani and Richard Ngarava, two tall and potent fast bowlers, can cause chaos if Indians become complacnt.<\/p>\n

Laxman and the team management\u2019s strategy, therefore, would be interesting to watch.<\/p>\n

With vice-captain Tilak Varma not looking comfortable at No. 5, how would the stand-in head coach manoeuvre with that position? Tilak, in T20Is, is best suited at No. 3 but Ishan Kishan, a senior member in this set-up, has been given that role.<\/p>\n

At No. 5, Rinku Singh is a better bet with his street-smart style of batting, but it will not be easy to drop a designated vice captain.<\/p>\n

ALSO READ | As vice-captain, I have to play responsibly: Tilak on questions over his strike rate<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n

India\u2019s real struggle will be selecting two among Harsh Dubey, Shivam Dube and Suryansh Shedge. In the case of Dube, he has struggled as a batter in conditions that aid seam and swing bowling. However, he has the experience of being part of two T20 World Cup triumphs (albeit in favourable conditions in the Caribbean and India).<\/p>\n

While Gambhir has had a fascination for all-rounders, Laxman\u2019s preferences are different. He can\u2019t afford to have a long tail, as none of the rookie pace quartet of Mayank Yadav, Ashok Sharma, Prince Yadav and Yash Thakur can bat higher up the order.<\/p>\n

Prince, who has been playing a few games for India, will certainly start with injury-prone Mayank Yadav, who had turned up in a few T20Is against Bangladesh back in 2024.<\/p>\n

The choice for the third pacer will be between tearaway quick Ashok, who can bowl mid 150s or the steady Yash, who bowls late 130s but has variety.<\/p>\n

\n
\nSQUADS:
\n<\/h5>\n

\nIndia: Shreyas Iyer (captain), Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (wk), Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Harsh Dubey, Suryansh Shedge, Yash Thakur, Prince Yadav, Mayank Yadav, Ashok Sharma, Ravi Bishnoi, Prabhsimran Singh, Rinku Singh<\/p>\n

\nZimbabwe: Sikandar Raza (captain), Brian Bennett, Ryan Burl, Tanaka Chivanga, Ben Curran, Brad Evans, Wessly Madhevere, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Wellington Masakadza, Blessing Muzarabani, Dion Myers, Richard Ngarava, Newman Nyamhuri, Milton Shumba, Tafadzwa Tsiga\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Published on Jul 22, 2026<\/p>\n<\/div>\n


\n
Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Shreyas Iyer will be eager for his first win as India captain while his young team eyes course correction against a spunky Zimbabwe that is expected to fight hard during the short three-match T20I series starting here on Thursday. Having lost six out of his first seven T20I games as skipper in series defeats to…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":195388,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-195387","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/2026-07-04T165657Z_1154442305_UP1EM741B2V60_RTRMADP_3_CRICKET-T20-ENG-IND.JPG","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":196239,"url":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?p=196239","url_meta":{"origin":195387,"position":0},"title":"Zimbabwe vs India 1st T20I, LIVE streaming info: When, where to watch the ZIM vs IND match?","author":"Ajay Kumar Verma","date":"July 23, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Shreyas Iyer will be looking to finally secure his first win as India\u2019s T20I captain when his side faces Zimbabwe in the first of three T20Is at the Harare Sports Club on Thursday, July 23.\u00a0 Shreyas has lost his first two series in charge of the Men in Blue, suffering\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sports"","block_context":{"text":"Sports","link":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?cat=9"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/AP07_09_2026_000514B.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/AP07_09_2026_000514B.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/AP07_09_2026_000514B.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/AP07_09_2026_000514B.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/AP07_09_2026_000514B.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":197252,"url":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?p=197252","url_meta":{"origin":195387,"position":1},"title":"Zimbabwe vs India 3rd T20I, LIVE streaming info: When, where to watch the ZIM vs IND match?","author":"Ajay Kumar Verma","date":"July 26, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The third and final T20I between India and Zimbabwe will be played at the Harare Sports Club on Sunday, July 26. This is a quick turnaround from the second T20I ,which was played on Saturday, where India made short work of host Zimbabwe to take an unassailable lead in the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sports"","block_context":{"text":"Sports","link":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?cat=9"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/image2071.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/image2071.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/image2071.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/image2071.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/image2071.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":197364,"url":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?p=197364","url_meta":{"origin":195387,"position":2},"title":"India reclaims top spot in ICC T20I rankings","author":"Ajay Kumar Verma","date":"July 26, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"India on Sunday reclaimed the No.1 position in ICC men\u2019s T20I rankings after taking an unassailable 2-0 lead against Zimbabwe in the ongoing three-match series at Harare. The reigning T20 world champion regained the top spot from England, who had dethroned Shreyas Iyer\u2019s side after its 4-0 series win recently.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sports"","block_context":{"text":"Sports","link":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?cat=9"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/AP07_25_2026_000656A.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/AP07_25_2026_000656A.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/AP07_25_2026_000656A.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/AP07_25_2026_000656A.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/AP07_25_2026_000656A.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":196754,"url":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?p=196754","url_meta":{"origin":195387,"position":3},"title":"Zimbabwe vs India 2nd T20I, LIVE streaming info: When, where to watch the ZIM vs IND match?","author":"Ajay Kumar Verma","date":"July 25, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"After being swept away by Ireland (0-2) and England (0-4), three-time T20 World Cup winner India produced a far better show in its series-opener on Thursday, beating Zimbabwe by seven wickets to take a 1-0 lead. This was also captain Shreyas Iyer\u2019s first win at the helm of the team.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sports"","block_context":{"text":"Sports","link":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?cat=9"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/image20-202026-07-24T191630.811.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/image20-202026-07-24T191630.811.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/image20-202026-07-24T191630.811.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/image20-202026-07-24T191630.811.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/image20-202026-07-24T191630.811.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":196492,"url":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?p=196492","url_meta":{"origin":195387,"position":4},"title":"IND vs ZIM, 2nd T20I: Shreyas Iyer\u2019s India looks to continue revival and seal series win against Zimbabwe","author":"Ajay Kumar Verma","date":"July 24, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"On the recovery path with its maiden win under new captain Shreyas Iyer, India will look to sustain the momentum and take an unassailable lead against Zimbabwe when the two teams face off in the second T20I here on Saturday. 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