IND vs ZIM, 1st T20I: Three Players who can Score Most Runs in Today's Match

ndia will face Zimbabwe in the first match of the India Tour of Zimbabwe, 2024 at Harare Sports Club in Harare, Zimbabwe on Saturday (July 6).

It will be the first match for India as the defending champion of this format of cricket. On the other hand, Zimbabwe unfortunately missed the chance to participate in the recent World Cup. This series will be an opportunity for Zimbabwe to start the journey towards redemption.

The Men in Blue will be led by Shubman Gill, who also missed a spot in India's World Cup squad. A completely new and younger side has been sent to Zimbabwe and they will be eager to prove themselves. An extra motivation for the Indian sides will be to fill the void created by the retirements of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja, the legendary trio of Indian cricket.

On the other hand, the African team will be led by Sikandar Raza, a Pakistan-born allrounder. The Chevrons will try their best to regain their lost reputation in the series against the champions.

Zimbabwe vs India 1st T20I 2024: ZIM vs IND Head-to-Head Record

India and Zimbabwe have played eight T20I matches in the past and India has a dominant record by winning six of them. In the last five meetings, Zimbabwe has managed to win two matches. Their last meeting was in the T20I World Cup 2022, where India beat Zimbabwe by 71 runs.

IND vs ZIM 1st T20I 2024: Three Batters who can score Most Runs

Abhishek Sharma (IND): After a stellar performance in the IPL 2024, it will be a great opportunity for this uncapped youngster to prove his mettle in international cricket. This season the 24-year-old left-handed batter scored 484 runs in 16 matches with a strike rate of 204.22. Sharma can be the perfect replacement for Rohit Sharma, this could be the perfect platform for him.

Rinku Singh (IND): The 26-year-old left-handed batter will be eager to perform in the blue jersey. He will be gutted after missing out on the chance to play in the recent World Cup, as he had to be satisfied only with a spot in the reserve squad. In 15 T20I matches, Singh has scored 356 runs with an average of 89 runs. Known for his power-hitting ability, the Indian batter has the potential to become a regular starter in the Indian squad as a lower middle-order batter. His strike rate in T20I and IPL are also quite formidable.

Sikandar Raza (ZIM): The 38-year-old veteran would be a key player for the Chevrons in this series like many other past battles. The batting allrounder 1947 runs T20 cricket in 86 matches with a strike rate of 134. The Pakistan-born allrounder also bagged 60 wickets with his right arm-off spin. The Zimbabwe skipper in the last year accumulated 688 runs on his way to becoming the top scorer for his team, along with taking 22 wickets in the same period.