Team India. (Source – Twitter/X)
India and Zimbabwe are set to square off in the fifth and final T20I on Sunday, July 14, at the Harare Sports Club in Harare. The Men in Blue have already bagged the series after taking a 3-1 lead and are the favourites to triumph on Sunday. However, Zimbabwe would hope to finish the series on a high and give their passionate fans something to cheer for.
The hosts started the series with a victory in the first T20I but India bounced back strongly to win three games on the trot. The fourth T20I turned out to be a one-sided contest as Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill’s unbeaten 156-run stand in 15.2 overs helped the Asian giants beat Zimbabwe by 10 wickets.
Indian skipper Gill had a quiet first couple of games but has stamped his authority in the last two matches. He is the leading run-getter in the series, having scored 157 runs at an average of 52.33 and a strike rate of 129.75. Ruturaj Gaikwad has also been among the runs. Yashasvi’s unbeaten 93 off 53 balls in the last game was a treat to watch and if he gets going on Sunday, Zimbabwean bowlers will be in huge trouble.
As far as India’s bowling department is concerned, Washington Sundar is the highest wicket-taker so far, having scalped seven wickets in four games at 12.29. Ravi Bishnoi has also been excellent, taking six wickets at 13.83. Sundar and Bishnoi have miserly economy rates of 5.38 and 5.19, respectively.
For Zimbabwe, the likes of Dion Myers and Clive Madande have played well in patches but they have lacked consistency. Sikandar Raza played an enterprising 46-run knock in the fourth T20I after failing with the bat in the first three games. If he can bat deep, it will stand the African side in good stead.
On the bowling front, Blessing Muzarabani has been the most impressive. He has found good bounce from the wickets due to this height and caused some problems for the Indian batters. The right-arm pacer has picked up four wickets from as many games at 24.25. He has maintained a fantastic economy rate of 6.33 against an aggressive Indian batting lineup. Raza has picked up five wickets in four games and his four-over spell in the final T20I will be crucial.
Match Details:
| Match | Venue | Date and Time |
| Zimbabwe vs India, 5th T20I | Harare Sports Club, Harare | Sunday, July 14, 4:30 PM IST |
Head-To-Head Records
| Matches | Won by Zimbabwe | Won by India | Tied | No Result | First-ever Fixture | Most-recent Fixture |
| 12 | 03 | 09 | 00 | 00 | June 12, 2010 | July 13, 2024 |
ZIM vs IND Probable Playing XIs
Zimbabwe:
In the last game, Zimbabwe opted to bring in seam-bowling all-rounder Faraz Akram in place of spin-bowling all-rounder Wellington Masakdza. The Jedda-born didn’t get much of a chance with the bat before he went for 41 in his four overs with the ball. However, he should get another game on Sunday. Uncapped Antum Naqvi could get his debut in place of Tendai Chatara, who has gone wicketless after his three-for in the first game.
Predicted XI
Wessly Madhevere, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Brian Bennett, Sikandar Raza (C), Dion Myers, Jonathan Campbell, Clive Madande (WK), Faraz Akram, Richard Ngarava, Blessing Muzarabani, Tendai Chatara/Antum Naqvi.
India:
India can afford to try out some of their reserve players, having already sealed the series. Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Avesh Khan, and Mukesh Kumar were on the bench in the last game. Mukesh picked up four wickets in the first two games and he could come in for Khaleel Ahmed.
Predicted XI
Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill (C), Abhishek Sharma, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sanju Samson (WK), Rinku Singh, Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Tushar Deshpande, Mukesh Kumar/Khaleel Ahmed, Ravi Bishnoi.