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Zimbabwe
India
India take on Zimbabwe in the second T20I at Harare Sports Club, with the visitors expected to carry the momentum from the opening match. India enter this game with confidence after a comfortable chase of 126 in the first T20I, finishing the target with more than 6 overs to spare.
Their batting unit looks capable of handling Zimbabwe's bowling attack once again, while the bowlers will aim to keep the hosts under pressure throughout the innings.
The recent head-to-head record also favours India. They have won all 6 of the last 6 T20I meetings against Zimbabwe, including 4 victories while defending a total and 2 while chasing.
Zimbabwe will rely on home conditions to put up a stronger fight, but India will remain the stronger side on paper. If the Indian top order gets another good start, the visitors will be in a strong position to take a 2-0 lead in the series.
India's top order looked in excellent form in the first T20I, and with batters like Abhishek, Sooryavanshi, Kishan and Iyer, they are more likely to produce the highest run-scorer in this match.
The betting tip is...
Top Batterβs Team - India
72 %
28 %
ZimbabweIndiaZimbabwe struggled with the bat in the first T20I despite playing at home. Captain Sikandar Raza led the side, while Ben Curran and Newman Nyamhuri made their T20I debuts.
The top order failed to build a platform as Brian Bennett, Ben Curran, Dion Myers and Sikandar Raza managed just over 20 runs combined. Wessly Madhevere played the best innings with 39 off 34 balls, while Ryan Burl and Tadiwanashe Marumani added 26 and 27 respectively to help Zimbabwe reach 125.
The bowlers did not have enough runs to defend. Blessing Muzarabani, who had taken 19 wickets in his last 10 matches before this game, picked up two wickets, while Richard Ngarava, who had claimed 15 wickets in his last seven matches, took one. Brad Evans, Newman Nyamhuri and Sikandar Raza went wicketless.
Bennett, Ngarava and Muzarabani are the key players in the team.
Predicted Lineup: Brian Bennett, Ben Curran, Dion Myers, Sikandar Raza (c), Ryan Burl, Wessly Madhevere, Tadiwanashe Marumani (wk), Brad Evans, Newman Nyamhuri, Richard Ngarava, Blessing Muzarabani
India produced a complete performance in the first T20I and secured a comfortable seven-wicket win. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi starred with the bat, scoring his maiden T20I fifty with a 50 off just 19 balls, including four fours and four sixes.
Ishan Kishan added 35 from 24 balls, while captain Shreyas Iyer remained unbeaten on 28 and Tilak Varma finished unbeaten on 6 as India chased 126 in only 13.2 overs. Abhishek Sharma was dismissed for just one run.
The bowling unit kept Zimbabwe under control throughout the innings.
Mayank Yadav and Prince Yadav picked up two wickets each, while Shivam Dube and Ravi Bishnoi claimed one wicket apiece. Ashok Sharma remained wicketless but bowled an economical spell as four of India's five bowlers finished with wickets.
Sooryavanshi, Mayank and Iyer are the key players in the team.
Predicted Lineup: Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Shivam Dube, Ravi Bishnoi, Prince Yadav, Mayank Yadav, Ashok Sharma
India will start as strong favourites to win the second T20I after a dominant performance in the series opener. Their batting lineup looked comfortable against Zimbabwe's bowlers, with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi scoring a quick fifty and Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer making useful contributions.
Abhishek Sharma will also be expected to bounce back after a rare failure. India have several batters who can score quickly, and the conditions should suit them once again.
If the top order gets another good start, India are likely to post a big total or chase comfortably. Another half-century from an Indian batter looks like a strong possibility, giving the visitors the edge to take a 2-0 lead in the series.
