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On Wednesday, July 22, Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) announced a 15-man squad of the Zimbabwe National Cricket Team for the three-match T20I series against the India National Cricket Team.
Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) selection committee has made three changes to the squad for the upcoming series against India from the matches they played against the Bangladesh National Cricket Team in Bulawayo.
Zimbabwe announce T20I squad for India series; Sikandar Raza named captain
The three-match T20I series between India and the Chevrons will be hosted by the Harare Sports Club on July 23, 25 and 26.
Talking about the notable selections, all-rounder Wessly Madhevere returns to the side, wicketkeeper-batter Tafadzwa Tsiga has earned his maiden T20I call-up, and Newman Nyamhuri has also returned after recovering from a niggle that led to him missing the Bangladesh series.
To make space for the above-mentioned players in the squad, Clive Madande, Tinotenda Maposa and Tashinga Musekiwa have been left out of the Sikandar Raza-led squad. In other news, there have been changes to the India coaching staff for the Zimbabwe series.
Zimbabwe Squad For T20I Series vs India:
Sikandar Raza (Captain), Brian Bennett, Ryan Burl, Tanaka Chivanga, Ben Curran, Brad Evans, Wessly Madhevere, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Wellington Masakadza, Blessing Muzarabani, Dion Myers, Richard Ngarava, Newman Nyamhuri, Milton Shumba, Tafadzwa Tsiga
Can Zimbabwe pull off a massive upset vs India?
Yes, Zimbabwe have every reason to believe they can spring a surprise against India in the upcoming T20I series. While India remain the reigning ICC Men's T20 World Cup champions, they have looked far from their best since lifting the trophy. The Men in Blue suffered a 2-0 series defeat in Ireland before being comprehensively beaten 4-0 by England, leaving Shreyas Iyer still searching for his first T20I series win as captain.
In contrast, Zimbabwe head into the series with confidence despite their recent 2-1 T20I series loss to Bangladesh. Sikandar Raza's side had earlier registered a memorable innings victory in the one-off Test and followed it up by clinching the ODI series 2-1, highlighting their growing competitiveness across formats. Although Bangladesh bounced back in the T20Is, Zimbabwe showed enough quality to suggest they are no longer easy opponents at home.
The African side also impressed at the 2026 T20 World Cup, where they stunned Australia in the group stage to qualify for the Super Eights. While they eventually lost to India, South Africa and West Indies in the next round, the campaign proved they are capable of challenging top teams on the biggest stage.
India will still start as favourites on paper due to their superior squad depth and experience. However, considering their recent struggles and Zimbabwe's upward trajectory, writing off the hosts would be a mistake. If Zimbabwe can capitalize on home conditions and maintain the fearless brand of cricket they have displayed over the past few months, they have a genuine opportunity to pull off one of the biggest upsets of the year.
