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Zimbabwe
Bangladesh
Zimbabwe and Bangladesh will begin their T20I series at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo. Zimbabwe will enter the match with confidence after winning the ODI series 2-1 against Bangladesh.
They defended their totals in both victories and also dominated the one-off Test by an innings and 85 runs. Bangladesh will now look to start fresh in the shortest format under Towhid Hridoy and improve their recent results on this tour.
The first T20I is expected to be competitive as both teams will aim to build early momentum in the series. Zimbabwe, led by Sikandar Raza, will try to continue their strong home form, while Bangladesh will rely on their better record in this format.
Bangladesh have won 4 of the last 5 T20Is against Zimbabwe, with 2 wins while batting first and 2 while chasing. Zimbabwe's only win during this period came while chasing, making this an important contest for both teams.
Tanzid Hasan has scored 285 runs in his last 10 T20Is at an average of 31.67 and has been in good form recently, making him a strong contender to score another solid innings at the top of the order.
The betting tip is...
Tanzid Hasan - Over 24.5 runs
61 %
39 %
ZimbabweBangladeshSikandar Raza led Zimbabwe during the recent matches in Richard Ngarava's absence and remained the team's key all-round option. Ben Curran and Brian Bennett were the main batting threats, while Clive Madande handled the wicketkeeping duties.
Tadiwanashe Marumani and Dion Myers strengthened the top order, and Bennett averaged over 70 in his last 10 T20I matches.
The bowling attack was led by Tinotenda Maposa, Blessing Muzarabani and Wellington Masakadza. Brad Evans, Richard Ngarava and Muzarabani were in good form during the ODI series.
Evans picked up 17 wickets in his last seven matches, while Muzarabani claimed 13 wickets in his previous six games, giving Zimbabwe a strong pace attack for the opening T20I.
Bennett, Raza and Evans are the key players in the team.
Predicted Lineup: Ben Curran, Brian Bennett, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Craig Ervine, Sikandar Raza (c), Clive Madande (wk), Ryan Burl, Brad Evans, Wellington Masakadza, Richard Ngarava and Blessing Muzarabani.
Bangladesh suffered a setback before the series as Mustafizur Rahman was ruled out for four weeks with hamstring and knee injuries.
Tanzid Hasan and Towhid Hridoy were the standout batters in the ODI series after both scored multiple fifties. The side also had several all-round options in Saif Hassan, Nasum Ahmed, Mohammad Saifuddin and Mahedi Hasan.
One of Parvez Hossain Emon and Nurul Hasan was expected to take the wicketkeeping duties. The bowling attack was led by Nahid Rana, Rishad Hossain and Shoriful Islam.
Shoriful finished the ODI series with a 4-wicket haul in the final match, while Nahid Rana carried strong white-ball form into the T20I series and remained one of Bangladesh's key wicket-taking options.
Tanzid, Hridoy and Rana are the key players in the team.
Predicted Lineup: Tanzid Hasan, Towhid Hridoy (c), Mahedi Hasan, Mohammad Saifuddin, Yasir Ali, Parvez Hossain Emon (wk), Mosaddek Hossain, Rishad Hossain, Nahid Rana, Shoriful Islam and Abdul Gaffar Saqlain.
Bangladesh will start as slight favourites despite Zimbabwe's strong results earlier in the tour. Their top order looked in good touch during the ODI series, and that form is expected to continue in the shortest format.
Tanzid Hasan will be one of the key batters after scoring consistently in recent matches, and he is likely to give Bangladesh a solid start. Tanzid Hasan and Towhid Hridoy both formed a strong partnership in the last match of the ODI series.
Zimbabwe have enough quality to stay competitive, especially with their experienced bowling attack, but Bangladesh's batting depth could make the difference. Expect the visitors to edge a close contest, with their top-order batters playing an important role in setting up the victory.
