Before their upcoming fourth T20I against Zimbabwe, the Indian cricket team was graciously hosted by Mr. Vijay Khanduja, the Indian ambassador to Zimbabwe, at the India House in Harare last Saturday. The young Indian squad currently holds a 2-1 lead in the series as they look forward to potentially clinching the series with a victory in the upcoming match.
Saturday’s match holds significance as it marks the opportunity for the young captain, Shubman Gill, to secure his first T20I series win at the helm. Gill showed promising form in the last game, scoring 66 runs off 49 balls.
Despite their strong performance, there are still a few members of the 15-player Indian squad who have yet to make an appearance in the series. Tushar Deshpande, originally part of the squad, and Harshit Rana are among those eagerly awaiting their chance to contribute on the field.
Team India Hosted By Republic Of Zimbabwe
India failed to chase 116 in the first T20I and Gill sounded very sad and dejected as captain in his post-match presentation speech.Â
“We bowled pretty well, we let ourselves down in the field. We were not up to standard and everyone looked a bit rusty. We spoke about taking time and enjoying our batting but it didn’t pan out that way. Halfway through we had lost 5 wickets, would’ve been best for us if I stayed there till the end, very disappointed with the way I got out and the rest of the match panned out. There was a bit of hope for us but when you’re chasing 115 and your no.10 batter is out there, you know something is wrong” said Gill.Â
Following their defeat, the Indian team rebounded strongly by scoring 234 and 182 runs respectively in the subsequent two matches. They secured victories in the second T20I by a margin of 100 runs and in the third by 23 runs. The change in pitch conditions proved favorable for the batsmen, who capitalized on the opportunity to score runs.
Meanwhile, Zimbabwe also has an opportunity to level the series during Saturday’s match, potentially setting up a decisive final game on Sunday. The performance of their senior players, particularly their captain Sikandar Raza, will be crucial as they aim to contribute significantly both with the bat and ball to achieve a positive result.
