Axar Patel and Harbhajan Singh produced an impressive display of spin bowling as India trounced a hapless Zimbabwe by 54 runs in the first T20 International in Harare on Friday. Patel (3 for 17) and Harbhajan (2 for 29) ripped through Zimbabwe's batting order, ending the home team's challenge at 124-7 while chasing a target of 179 on a slow track at Harare Sports Club.
India will play three ODIs between 18 to 22 August against Zimbabwe at the Harare Sports Club, which will be part of the ICC Cricket World Cup Super League.
After his forgettable 2021 T20 World Cup in the UAE, Varun Chakravarthy spent three years on the sidelines.
World champions India are placed at the top of the T20 International rankings, although their lead over the second-placed Australia has reduced from 10 to nine points.
Team India will tour Zimbabwe for a small ODI series. The first match will be played on August 18, the second on 20, and the third and final ODI will be played on 22.
India captain Shubman Gill praised his team's "remarkable" effort on a challenging two-paced wicket as they defeated Zimbabwe by 23 runs in the third T20I
Joe Root has reclaimed the top spot in the ICC Men's Test Batting Rankings after his stellar efforts helped England secure a 22-run victory over India at Lord's, according to the official website of the ICC.
The Pakistan team's over-dependency on their opening stand came back to haunt them as Zimbabwe defeated them in a low-scoring thriller by one run to clinch their first Super-12 win of the ongoing T20 World Cup on Thursday at the Perth Stadium.
The 31-year-old didn't find a place in the squad against England because of Reddy's recent exploits.
A PCB official said due to time constraints between the ICC Champions Trophy and New Zealand tour, Aaqib Javed will continue as interim head coach.
Shubman Gill and Jasprit Bumrah returned to India's T20 squad for next month's Asia Cup, but IPL star performers Shreyas Iyer and Yashasvi Jaiswal missed out.
Among other developments from the RCB camp, West Indies all-rounder Romario Shepherd and England's Liam Livingstone have returned to India and rejoined the squad on Wednesday.
'@IamSanjuSamson, who hit a century in his last ODI, has not been picked for ODIs, while @IamAbhiSharma4, who hit a T20I century in the #INDvZIM series, has not been picked at all/'
Deshpande replaced right-arm fast bowler Avesh Khan in the line-up.
Parag became the first cricketer from the Northeast to represent India in a T20I against Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe, which was granted ODI status before the 1983 World Cup and Test status in 1992, has been struggling in international cricket for a long time.
Refreshed and re-energised, the team is surely geared up for the all-important third T20I scheduled for Wednesday.
Among others, Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan has moved up to take top position among bowlers with some fine performances in a 2-0 series win over Zimbabwe.
Riyan Parag's dream call-up to the Indian squad for the Zimbabwe tour almost turned into a nightmare.
Varun Chakravarthy now holds the best figures by an Indian bowler on Champions Trophy debut. His five wicket haul in just his second ODI is the earliest by an Indian in 50 overs cricket.
Pakistan all-rounder Khushdil Shah has expressed surprise at his selection for the Champions Trophy, saying he doesn't know how he got into the team.
For South Africa, Rassie van der Dussen has advanced three slots to the sixth position, just one shy of his career-best, after scores of 34 not out and 52.
Suryakumar Yadav was picked as the India T20I captain ahead of Hardik Pandya, while Rohit stays as the captain of the ODI team.
Ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 campaign opener, New Zealand's accomplished batter Kane Williamson has predicted big things for two young talented batters: Kiwi star Rachin Ravindra and India's T20I specialist Abhishek Sharma.
Abhishek recently scored a century in Harare against Zimbabwe, has been making significant strides in his cricketing career.
'Very happy with the team's win to go 2-1 up in the series and the catch that Bishi (Bishnoi) took was absolutely remarkable. It was truly delightful to watch.'
Mentor Yuvraj Singh was very happy when I got out for duck, he must be proud now: Abhishek Sharma
India start as the big favourites in both the white ball series and it will take a Herculean effort from Sri Lanka to upset the odds.
Now that Digvesh Rathi's celebration has hit a sore note (book) he should focus more on taking wickets rather than accumulating fines.
Jasprit Bumrah has reached an impressive milestone in the ICC Men's Test Bowling Rankings, sitting at 904 rating points
Suryakumar Yadav has been named the captain for this T20I series, bringing his leadership and experience to the relatively young squad. Sanju Samson and Jitesh Sharma will serve as the wicketkeepers, while key players such as Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, and Washington Sundar are included to strengthen the batting and bowling departments.
India will gear up for the ICC T20 World Cup with a three-match series against Australia at home in September.
Shubman Gill acknowledges the immense achievements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, but aims to carve his own path as a T20I opener
Jitesh Sharma could well pip Ishan Kishan for second wicketkeeper's slot in the Suryakumar Yadav-led Indian T20 team which will play three T20Is against the Bangladesh starting October 6 in Gwalior.
23-year-old Harshit Rana made his India debut as a concussion substitute, marking a historic first for the format.
A 16-member Indian cricket team, led by captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, has arrived here for a short limited-overs series beginning on Saturday. The team arrived here after a long flight after leaving Mumbai on Tuesday. The BCCI tweeted to inform the arrival of the players at the Harare International Airport with pictures of Dhoni and some of his teammates completing the formalities at the airport.
They posted an astonishing 349/5 against Sikkim, the highest total ever recorded in T20 cricket, at the Holkar stadium in Indore.
The Ajinkya Rahane-led Indian team arrived in Harare on Tuesday for the limited overs series against hosts Zimbabwe, starting on July 10.
'Unfortunately, we tend to crack under pressure and lose close matches as we have seen in recent games.'
Ramiz Raja backed Babar Azam to come good in red-ball cricket, saying that he needs to show the world through his temperament that he is like the West Indies batting legend Vivian Richards.
