ZIM vs IND: 5 players to watch out for

Team India is set to face Zimbabwe in a five-match T20I series starting August 18 (Thursday). All three matches in the series will be played at the Harare Sports Club and the Men in Blue will back themselves to the ODI fixture against the home team despite missing major players from the squad due to rest or injuries. However, they would not want to take Zimbabwe too lightly as they recently thrashed Bangladesh in white-ball matches. On that note, let us take a look at the five players to watch out for in the IND-ZIM ODI series:

5. Shikhar Dhawan (India)

Team India senior batter Shikhar Dhawan was set to lead the Men in Blue, but a delayed inclusion of KL Rahul in the team meant that Dhawan was assigned the role of vice-captain. The left-handed batter recently stated that he wants to play in the 2023 50-over World Cup and he wants to contribute as much as possible with the bat till he is playing at the international level.

4. KL Rahul (India)

Returning from injury, team India skipper KL Rahul will want to have a good outing against Zimbabwe and regain some form before the all-important 2022 T20 Asia Cup. Rahul was last seen during the 2022 Indian Premier League (IPL) but he has been out of action for a long period of time owing to injuries and Covid-19.

3. Shubman Gill (India)

Young batter Shubman Gill had an excellent series against the West Indies during the ODI fixtures as he was also adjudged player of the series for his vital performances throughout the series. Gill will want to emulate his performance in the upcoming matches against Zimbabwe as well.

2. Sikandar Raza (Zimbabwe)

Zimbabwe senior batter Sikandar Raza is in red hot form at the moment, as the right-handed batter stroked back-to-back centuries against Bangladesh in ODI fixtures and helped the home team to win the matches. Raza has been on the scene for long and would want to bring that experience to the fore against a formidable Indian team.

1. Axar Patel (India)

Axar Patel shone with both bat and ball during the recent tour of the West Indies. The left-arm spinner grabbed wickets regularly in the white-ball matches and also played a match-winning knock with the bat to lead India to a win in the second ODI. Axar will want to continue his form against Zimbabwe as well and look to make a place for himself in the upcoming 2022 T20 World Cup.