On Wednesday, July 22, Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) announced the Zimbabwe national cricket team’s 15-man squad for the three-match T20I series against the India national cricket team.
The Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) selection committee has made three changes to the squad for the upcoming series against India from the matches played against the Bangladesh national cricket team in Bulawayo.
Zimbabwe announces T20I squad for India series; Sikandar Raza becomes captain
The three-match T20 series between India and Chevron will be hosted by Harare Sports Club on July 23, 25 and 26.
Talking about the notable selections, all-rounder Wesley Madhevere returns to the squad, wicketkeeper-batsman Tafadzwa Tsiga has earned his maiden T20I call-up, and Newman Nyamauri also returns after recovering from the niggle that caused him to miss the Bangladesh series.
To make room for the above players in the team, Clive Madande, Tinotenda Maphosa and Tshinga Musekiwa have been dropped from the Alexander Raza-led squad. In other news, changes have been made to India’s coaching staff for the Zimbabwe series.
Zimbabwe squad for India vs T20I series:
Sikandar Raza (captain), Brian Bennett, Ryan Burl, Tanaka Chiwanga, Ben Curran, Brad Evans, Wesley Madhewere, Tadivanashe Marumani, Wellington Masakadza, Blessing Muzarabani, Dion Myers, Richard Ngarwa, Newman Nyamauri, Milton Shumba, Tafadzwa Tsiga
Can Zimbabwe pull off a big upset against India?
Yes, Zimbabwe have every reason to believe that they can spring a surprise against India in the upcoming T20I series. Although 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 thrashed 4-0 by England, leaving Shreyas Iyer still searching for his first T20 series win as captain.
In contrast, Zimbabwe are heading into the series with confidence despite their recent 2-1 T20I series loss to Bangladesh. Sikandar Raza’s side had recorded a memorable innings win in the first one-off Test and followed it up by winning the ODI series 2-1, highlighting their growing competitiveness across all formats. Although Bangladesh bounced back in T20Is, Zimbabwe showed enough quality to show that they are no longer easy opponents on home soil.
The African team also impressed at the 2026 T20 World Cup, where they defeated Australia in the group stage to qualify for the Super Eights. Although they ultimately lost to India, South Africa and West Indies in the next round, the campaign proved that they were capable of challenging the top teams on the biggest stage.
India will still start as favorites on paper due to their superior team depth and experience. However, given their recent struggles and Zimbabwe’s upward trend, it would be a mistake to write off the hosts. If Zimbabwe can take advantage of the home conditions and maintain the fearless brand of cricket they have displayed over the past few months, they have a real chance of pulling off one of the biggest upsets of the year.
