5 Zimbabwe players India need to be wary of in T20I series

A long trophy drought finally came to an end for India as they won the 2024 T20 World Cup, and the euphoria might not die down anytime soon. But then cricket rolls on as a new-look, but experienced team will start their own journey when they take on Zimbabwe in a five-match T20I series.

Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja have all retired from T20Is and there are other spots up for grabs. This will give this new team plenty of motivation to put in a good performance since India will have to defend their T20 title at home in 2026.

However, they will be put to the test by Zimbabwe - a side that would want to get back on track after failing to qualify for the just-concluded T20 World Cup. Here we take a look at five Zimbabwe players India need to be wary of in T20I series:

#5 Innocent Kaia

Innocent Kaia will be the key against the new ball

A diminutive batter, Innocent Kaia started his international cricket late but has been consistent since making his ODI debut in 2022. He toiled in the domestic circuit for a while and received his first international call-up in 2021 for the T20I series against Scotland.

He showed his talent in his debut ODI series against Afghanistan and then gave a better glimpse of his abilities with a superb ton against Bangladesh as he powered Zimbabwe to successfully chase a 300+ target.

His numbers in T20I cricket are modest, but he is an experienced player and can put the Indian bowling to the test in the upcoming series.

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#4 Blessing Muzarabani

An excellent pace bowler

Tall, nippy and with excellent control - Blessing Muzarabani is perhaps one of the best pacers for Zimbabwe at the moment. He has had a stop-start career so far - he became a Kolpak and then returned to Zimbabwe and is one of their key players across all three formats.

He was picked up for the home series against Pakistan in November 2020 and justified his inclusion as he picked up a five-wicket haul in one of the ODIs. His 6'8" frame allows him to get extra lift and has thus become a handy bowler in T20 cricket.

He was picked as a replacement player for Obed McCoy by Multan Sultans in the 2021 PSL season and repaid the faith with 10 wickets in six games. He was also bought by the Lucknow Super Giants in 2022.

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#3 Tendai Chatara

Chatara will spearhead the bowling attack

Tendai Chatara, who last played in the T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier, has been recalled for this series after being omitted from the series against Ireland and Bangladesh.

His best performance in T20Is came in the 2022 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup against Scotland when he ended with two for 14 in a spell that also included a maiden over. This played a huge role in Zimbabwe making it to the Super 12.

He has a unique, lopsided action, but can get the ball to move around on a fresh pitch. Also, he can hit the yorkers in the death and these traits make him a handy bowler for Zimbabwe.

Chatara is also one of the most experienced players in this series - he made his ODI debut against West Indies in February 2013 and hence, will be expected to lead the bowling attack. He has picked up 62 wickets in 56 T20Is for Zimbabwe with an average of 23.38.

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#2 Luke Jongwe

A handy all-rounder for Zimbabwe

Another experienced player, Luke Jongwe made his ODI debut against South Africa back in 2014. He was a prolific batter in the domestic circuit who could also chip in with the ball. Jongwe has been a regular player for Zimbabwe in white-ball cricket.

In January this year, Jongwe played a crucial role in downing Sri Lanka with the bat after picking up two wickets earlier in the innings. He is a powerful ball striker and has the ability to nip the ball both ways - especially with the new ball.

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#1 Sikandar Raza

Sikandar Raza will be leading Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza will be the most important player for his side. He has played 86 T20I matches since 2013 where he has scored 1,946 runs with a highest score of 87.

Zimbabwe are now looking to rebuild under new head coach Justin Sammons as they failed to qualify for the T20 World Cup 2024. Hence, Raza will be a key player for the side.

He was the Player of the Tournament in the 2019 World Cup Qualifiers, scoring 319 runs and taking 15 wickets. He was also player of the tournament in the 2022 T20I World Cup Qualifiers.

He is a prolific middle-order batter and has improved a lot with the ball. His impressive all-round abilities have made him highly sought after in franchise cricket. He was snapped up by the Dubai Capitals in the inaugural ILT20 league and has been a regular part of Lahore Qalandars in PSL. In 2023, he was picked up by the Punjab Kings for the IPL.