Zimbabwe have reshaped their squad for the upcoming three-match T20I series against India. For the marquee series, the Chevrons have brought back all-rounder Wessly Madhevere and fast bowler Newman Nyamhuri while awarding wicketkeeper-batter Tafadzwa Tsiga his first call-up in the format.
Madhevere returns after sitting out Zimbabwe’s most recent T20I assignment against Bangladesh. Nyamhuri, on the other hand, has also rejoined the squad after overcoming the niggle that prevented him from featuring in that series. Tsiga, meanwhile, has been rewarded with his maiden opportunity to represent Zimbabwe in T20Is.
The latest selection also sees Tanaka Chivanga retain his place after being drafted into the Bangladesh series as Nyamhuri’s replacement. However, Clive Madande, Tinotenda Maposa and Tashinga Musekiwa have not been included for the matches against India. The 15-player squad will be captained by Sikandar Raza for the home series in Harare, where Zimbabwe are scheduled to face the reigning champions on July 23, 25 and 26.
The squad changes reflect Zimbabwe’s preparations for one of their biggest assignments of the season as they host the world champions in a three-match contest on home soil. They approach the series after a productive home campaign against Bangladesh across formats. While they were unable to win the T20I series, they enjoyed success elsewhere, recording an innings victory in the standalone Test before claiming the ODI series 2-1 in Harare.
Changes in Indian unit
With Sanju Samson dropped from the squad, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is likely to open the innings alongside Abhishek Sharma. Prabhsimran Singh also remains as one of the options, alongside Ishan Kishan. Meanwhile, Washington Sundar has been ruled out of the series, with Ravi Bishnoi returning to the scheme of things, while the selectors have also added Rinku Singh after dropping him from the series against Afghanistan, Ireland and England.
The Indian team is also under tremendous scrutiny after losing back-to-back series in Europe. Another slip-up can raise serious questions regarding the team management.
Zimbabwe squad for India series – Sikandar Raza (c), Brian Bennett, Ryan Burl, Tanaka Chivanga, Ben Curran, Brad Evans, Wessly Madhevere, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Wellington Masakadza, Muzarabani, Dion Myers, Richard Ngarava, Newman Nyamhuri, Milton Shumba, Tafadzwa Tsiga