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Zimbabwe
Bangladesh
Zimbabwe and Bangladesh will meet in the second T20I of the series at Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo. Zimbabwe will enter the match with confidence after winning the ODI series 2-1 and taking the first T20I.
They will look to seal another home series with one game still to play. Bangladesh will aim to level the series and end a poor run of results in the shortest format. They have lost their last 5 T20Is.
The recent record between these teams suggests another close contest. Bangladesh have won 3 of the last 5 T20Is against Zimbabwe, while Zimbabwe have won two. Bangladesh have recorded 1 chase and 2 wins while defending, whereas Zimbabwe have won once while chasing and once while defending.
With Sikandar Raza leading the hosts and Towhid Hridoy captaining Bangladesh, the match will likely depend on which batting unit handles the Bulawayo conditions better and posts a competitive total.
Nahid Rana has been Bangladesh's most consistent wicket-taker in recent white-ball matches, and his pace and ability to strike with the new ball make him a strong chance to pick up at least 2 wickets again.
The betting tip is...
Nahid Rana - Over 1.5 wickets
60 %
40 %
ZimbabweBangladeshSikandar Raza led Zimbabwe, and the team produced another strong all-round performance. Brian Bennett continued his good form with 44 runs from 30 balls in the first T20I and has an average of over 70 across his last 10 T20Is.
Sikandar Raza and Dion Myers supported the top order, while contributions from the middle order helped Zimbabwe post 170/6. The batting unit has depth, with several players making useful contributions.
The bowling attack delivered once again. Richard Ngarava and Blessing Muzarabani picked up 4 wickets each in the previous match.
Muzarabani also took his tally to 17 wickets in his last 7 matches, while Trevor Gwandu Evans claimed 15 wickets in his last 10 games. Evans also strengthened the lower order with his batting ability.
Bennett, Raza and Ngarava are the key players in the team.
Predicted Lineup: Brian Bennett, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Dion Myers, Sikandar Raza (c), Ryan Burl, Tashinga Shumba, Clive Madande (wk), Tinotenda Musekiwa, Brad Evans, Richard Ngarava and Blessing Muzarabani.
Bangladesh struggled with the bat in the previous match. Yasir Ali was the only batter to make a significant contribution, scoring 54 runs from 38 balls during the chase.
The next highest scores were just 19 and 16, highlighting the top-order struggles. Towhid Hridoy and Tanzid Hasan remained the key batters in the lineup, but the team failed to build partnerships and could not keep pace with the required run rate.
Nahid Rana continued his impressive white-ball form by taking four wickets. Mohammad Saifuddin supported him with two wickets, while the other four bowlers used in the innings went wicketless. Taskin Ahmed and Mahedi Hasan remained important bowling options despite not making a major impact in the last match.
Tanzid, Rana and Hridoy are the key players in the team.
Predicted Lineup: Tanzid Hasan, Mohammad Saif, Parvez Hossain Emon, Towhid Hridoy (c), Nurul Hasan (wk), Yasir Ali, Mahedi Hasan, Nasum Ahmed, Mohammad Saifuddin, Taskin Ahmed and Nahid Rana.
Zimbabwe will start as favourites after showing better balance with both bat and ball in the series. Their batting depth and strong bowling attack should help them defend or chase a competitive total. Bangladesh will need a much better effort from the top order, but their recent batting form has been inconsistent.
Their best chance will come through the bowling unit, with Nahid Rana expected to continue his excellent white-ball form.
He has been taking wickets regularly and has averaged close to two wickets per match, which is better than any other bowler in this Bangladesh side. Zimbabwe should win the match and seal the series, but Bangladesh's pace attack is likely to make an impact with the new ball.
