Zimbabwe, on Thursday (August 11), announced the squad for the upcoming three-match ODI series against India. The series will be getting underway on August 18 and will conclude on August 22. All the three ODIs of the series will be played at the Harare Sports Club in Harare.
The hosts will be without the services of some of their key players for the crucial series. Blessing Muzarabani, Tendai Chatara, Wellington Masakadza and regular captain Craig Ervine won’t be featuring against India in the forthcoming series. Ervine is currently sidelined with a hamstring injury. On the other hand, Muzarabani, Chatara and Masakadza are sidelined with a thigh muscle tear, collarbone fracture and shoulder tendon injury respectively.
With Ervine out of the series, Regis Chakabva will be leading the team once again. Chakabva recently led Zimbabwe to a superb ODI series against Bangladesh and will be eyeing a similar performance against the Men in Blue. He also hit a match-winning 102 in the second ODI to help the hosts clinch the series. He, however, missed the third clash due to a hand sprain and was replaced by Sikandar Raza as the captain.
KL Rahul to lead India against Zimbabwe:
Meanwhile, KL Rahul will be leading Team India against Zimbabwe. The BCCI, on Thursday, announced that Rahul is set to return to action in the upcoming series. He has also replaced Shikhar Dhawan as the captain of the team. Rahul has not played a match for India since February due to injuries.
The upcoming bilateral series is the first one between India and Zimbabwe since 2016 when the former visited the African country for three ODIs and as many T20Is. On that occasion, India had clean swept the ODI series while the T20I series had ended 2-1 in the visitors’ favour.
Zimbabwe ODI squad:
Ryan Burl, Regis Chakabva (captain), Tanaka Chivanga, Bradley Evans, Luke Jongwe, Innocent Kaia, Takudzwanashe Kaitano, Clive Madande, Wessly Madhevere, Tadiwanashe Marumani, John Masara, Tony Munyonga, Richard Ngarava, Victor Nyauchi, Sikandar Raza, Milton Shumba, Donald Tiripano