Shubman Gill led an untested India squad in their opening five-match T20 series against Zimbabwe at Harare on Wednesday, their inaugural tour since being crowned world champions earlier this summer.
Team India features both experienced and younger players like Sai Sudharsan and Rinku Singh; catch all the action live on Sony LIV!
In this article, we will discuss the main points or high lights of Zimbabwe National Cricket Team vs India National Cricket Team Timeline.
| # | Date | Format | Venue | Result | Highlights / Notable Performances |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 14 Jul 2024 | T20I | Harare Sports Club | India won by 42 runs | India 167/6 vs Zimbabwe 125; series sealed 4–1 (Cricbuzz, NDTV Sports, |
| 2 | 13 Jul 2024 | T20I | Harare Sports Club | India won by 10 wickets | India chased 153 in 15.2 overs; Zimbabwe 152/7; Gill & Jaiswal starred |
| 3 | 10 Jul 2024 | T20I | Harare Sports Club | India won by 23 runs | India 182/4 vs Zimbabwe 159/6 |
| 4 | 07 Jul 2024 | T20I | Harare Sports Club | India won by 100 runs | India 234/2 vs Zimbabwe 134; dominant win |
| 5 | 06 Jul 2024 | T20I | Harare Sports Club | Zimbabwe won by 13 runs | Zimbabwe defended 115/9; India were all out for 102 |
Timeline
India and Zimbabwe’s ongoing rivalry has produced both fierce rivalries and occasional surprises. Although India tends to win these contests overall, Zimbabwe always gives their opponents a run for their money with outstanding performances on the cricket field. Both teams have met in Tests, ODIs, and T20Is; each game showcases different combinations of skills and qualities from both sides.
India and Zimbabwe first played their inaugural Test match back in October 1992, ending in a draw and marking the start of an intense rivalry in international cricket. India has won most games between them since, though Zimbabwe has managed a few victories as well.
India have won multiple bilateral ODI series in Zimbabwe with ease and provided young talent an opportunity to shine against top-tier opposition. Players like Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir and KL Rahul have made names for themselves during bilateral series against Zimbabwe while Brendan Taylor Tatenda Taibu and Elton Chigumbura have contributed greatly as all-round players.
Twenty20 internationals have revealed the gulf in class between India and Zimbabwe. Recently, India has won most T20Is against their opponent both at home and away, dominating both teams at all points – most recently in 2015 when they defeated India by defending a total of under 150 runs! But Zimbabwe can sometimes spring a surprise: their hosts recently beat India by fielding just 13 bowlers out.
Shubman Gill will lead India into five T20Is starting July 6, which will include several debutants such as Ruturaj Gaikwad, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Abhishek Sharma, Rinku Singh, Dhruv Jurel Washington Sundar Ravi Bishnoi and Shivam Dube. Abhishek and Shubman made their maiden T20 international calls-up while Jitesh Sharma and Harshit Rana have been left off. All matches will take place at Harare Sports Club in Zimbabwe
Matches
Zimbabwe Cricket Team, commonly referred to as Chevrons, represent Zimbabwe internationally in cricket. At present they are 12th in ICC World Cup Rankings with only an outside chance of qualifying for 2023 tournament. So far in ODI matches they have played 64 victories with 14 losses; 13 T20Is were won against India outright (10 times in total).
India will travel to Zimbabwe in July to play a five-match T20I series at Harare Sports Club. India have sent a second-string squad as they wish to give some fringe players an opportunity to shine and prove themselves. All matches will be broadcasted live via Sony Sports Network while live streaming will also be available via Sony LIV.
Shubman Gill will lead India for this series as captain. At 25, the 25-year-old was part of India’s T20 World Cup-winning squad but didn’t get many chances to show his worth there. Now with senior players such as Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja having retired from T20 Internationals altogether.
Sikandar Raza stands out in India’s squad as an all-rounder who has amassed 1,947 runs in 86 Twenty20 International matches for Pakistan – making him one of their leading run scorers and providing one of their main threats to Indian batsmen.
On Saturday, July 6 at 4:30 PM IST will take place the inaugural T20 International of this series. It will be broadcast live on Sony Sports Network India with Hindi commentary and DD feeds available, and through Sony LIV app and website.
Venues
In 1992, as Zimbabwe joined the International Cricket Council (ICC), their inaugural match took place. Hosted by Zimbabwe at Harare Sports Club and hosted by them for their maiden Test match experience ever, Dave Houghton scored 121 runs and Andy Flower 50. India responded with 307 runs led by Kapil Dev’s innings and Sanjay Manjrekar’s half century respectively.
Zimbabwe experienced early difficulty as they entered Test cricket, yet were not without some talent. Notable individuals such as Andy Flower, Grant Flower, Heath Streak and Neil Johnson ensured the team would still compete against most Full Members; nonetheless it remained weaker until well into the 21st century when its performance improved substantially.
By the time of the 2011 World Cup, Zimbabwe cricket had reached crisis level. Players had been denied match fees that could help alleviate financial struggles; as a result, all forms of competition had become difficult for Zimbabweans. Management even turned to private jets to transport its players home from matches, an indicator of its dire state.
Despite these obstacles, despite winning its opening game and recording a series win against Pakistan in their debut tournament match-up against Sri Lanka and Pakistan respectively. Unfortunately, however, their subsequent games against these opponents resulted in heavy defeats, leaving them at the bottom of their group with just 10 victories and 16 defeats to their name.
Despite these difficulties, the team has demonstrated remarkable resiliency and will look to build upon it when facing India in August 2022 for three ODI matches. Both sides will want to do well so they can keep alive any chances they have for qualifying for the 2023 Cricket World Cup.
Iconic moments
India and Zimbabwe share an enduring cricketing rivalry that dates back decades. From their initial clash in 1983 through to more recent matches, these two sides have showcased moments of brilliance, resilience and historic significance in every encounter they have met in. With their shared competitive spirit that has only enhanced cricket.
The inaugural match between these teams was an intense contest in which both sides found it difficult to score runs, until India eventually triumphed by 31 runs to win their World Cup debut victory. Many credit this match with being pivotal for Indian cricket as it provided them with their first World Cup triumphant moment.
The second match in the series was much tighter; both teams found scoring runs difficult, with Brian Bennett becoming only the first Zimbabwean ever to make his Test debut with a century, setting a new record of lowest number of balls taken to reach one hundred in first-class cricket history.
India’s bowlers also stepped up, with leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi and off-spinner Washington Sundar taking wickets, taking advantage of an extra bounce and carry from the pitch which enabled India’s spinners to do well on it. Unfortunately for Zimbabwe though, their batting frailties were exposed as they struggled to form partnerships and build alliances.
Zimbabwe’s 2019 has been uneven. They fell to South Africa (0-3) at home and UAE (0-2), but managed a 1-1 tie against Afghanistan ODI series. Now hosting India in five T20Is at home will be key in qualifying them for World Cup qualification – especially ending their nineteen match losing streak against them; should Zimbabwe end this losing streak and turn things around quickly then their T20I fortunes may finally begin improving significantly.