Predicting India’s Playing XI For Zimbabwe ODIs: Earlier this month the BCCI announced a 15-man squad for the 3 ODI tour of Zimbabwe. Shikhar Dhawan will once again lead the second-string side in Harare for matches on August 18, 20 and 22.
While the likes of Virat Kohli and KL Rahul won’t return yet, Rahul Tripathi has gotten his maiden ODI call-up and Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav and Deepak Chahar make their return after injury layoffs.
Here’s the India squad for Zimbabwe ODIs:
Shikhar Dhawan (C), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shubman Gill, Deepak Hooda, Rahul Tripathi, Ishan Kishan (wk), Sanju Samson (wk), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Avesh Khan, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj, Deepak Chahar.
Under Dhawan, India recently whitewashed West Indies 3-0 in the ODI series with a similar second-string unit and now the players will further look forward to the opportunities in Zimbabwe to stake their claim for a full-strength squad.
Here’s India’s predicted XI for the first Zimbabwe ODI:
Openers: Shikhar Dhawan, Shubman Gill
There is no doubt that India will continue with the opening combo of Dhawan and Gill following their success in the West Indies. Gill was the highest score of the series with 205 runs, stroking a couple of entertaining fifties with a best of 98* and bagged the Player of the Series award; and Dhawan was the second-highest scorer with 168 runs, with the help of two fifties and a best of 97.
Middle-order: Ishan Kishan, Sanju Samson, Deepak Hooda, Rahul Tripathi
Sanju Samson and Deepak Hooda, both of whom got opportunities in West Indies ODIs, will continue to get more chances in Zimbabwe. Samson hit a half-century in a match-winning cause in the second ODI while Hooda played crucial cameos and also offers a handy off-spin option.
Ishan Kishan could get in the line-up ahead of Ruturaj Gaikwad. Kishan, though earmarked as an opener in T20Is, can bat in the middle-order; he made his ODI debut last year vs Sri Lanka while batting at number 3 and smashed a fifty on debut.
Rahul Tripathi is likely to make his ODI debut vs Zimbabwe. He’s coming off a stellar IPL 2022 campaign for SRH, and boasts of good numbers in List-A cricket: 1209 runs in 43 List-A matches at an average of 31 and strike rate of 86, with 1 century and 8 fifties.
All-rounders: Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur
Axar Patel is gradually making a name for himself as a proper all-rounder now and is the go-to man in Ravindra Jadeja’s absence. His match-winning 64* in a tall run-chase in the second ODI vs West Indies was a big evidence of the improvement in his batting, while he remains as ever economical with the ball.
Shardul Thakur picked 7 wickets in 3 ODIs vs WI – join-highest with Chahal – but was slightly on the expensive side leaking at 6.25 runs an over, but that’s the trade-off with Thakur. He also gives batting depth to the team. Now Thakur is facing direct competition for places with Deepak Chahar, the seam-bowling all-rounder who has done well with the bat for India in recent times.
Bowlers: Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna/Deepak Chahar
Kuldeep Yadav is the only leg-spinner in this squad so gets in straightaway to play his first international match after the IPL as he was injured. And this is a good occasion for him to get some wickets and find back his rhythm.
Mohammed Siraj, who bowled excellently in the last ODI vs WI picking up 2/14 will take the new ball vs Zimbabwe. To partner Siraj could be either Prasidh Krishna or Deepak Chahar, but since Chahar is only returning from an injury, India might consider Krishna first, though Krishna has bowled poorly vs WI and England before.
Bench: Washington Sundar, Deepak Chahar, Avesh Khan, Ruturaj Gaikwad
