India's predicted playing XI for the 2nd T20I vs Zimbabwe

Team India won't have much time to lick their wounds in Harare, with the second T20I against Zimbabwe all set to take place on Sunday, July 7. The Men in Blue went down to the hosts by 13 runs in the series opener on Saturday, July 6.

Despite the loss and the short turnaround time, India might not be too keen on making changes for the second T20I. Their players, particularly the debutants, deserve to be given a fair chance at the international level, with most of them not being fixtures in the squad.

India’s squad for 1st & 2nd T20Is against Zimbabwe: Shubman Gill (c), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Abhishek Sharma, Rinku Singh, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Riyan Parag, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, Khaleel Ahmed, Mukesh Kumar, Tushar Deshpande, Sai Sudharsan, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Harshit Rana.

On that note, here is India's predicted playing XI for the second T20I against Zimbabwe.

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Openers: Shubman Gill (c) and Abhishek Sharma

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Shubman Gill was India's top-scorer in the first T20I, but that won't please him too much. The skipper will want to ensure that he registers his first international win at the helm.

Abhishek Sharma, who bagged a disappointing duck on debut, might need to curtail his instincts slightly on a surface that isn't conducive to free strokeplay. With his bowling and powerplay batting, he remains a key cog in the Indian side.

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Middle order: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Riyan Parag, Rinku Singh, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Washington Sundar

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Ruturaj Gaikwad's dismissal was hugely disappointing in the series opener. As one of the senior members of the squad, the batter will want to assume more responsibility and make a name for himself.

The shot selection bug bit the rest of the middle order, too. Riyan Parag, Rinku Singh, and Dhruv Jurel all fell prey to poor choices, and they will hold themselves to higher standards on Sunday.

Washington Sundar, who was one of the lone bright spots in an otherwise timid effort, will be keen on continuing in the same vein.

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Lower order: Ravi Bishnoi, Mukesh Kumar, Khaleel Ahmed, Avesh Khan

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Tushar Deshpande and Harshit Rana are quality options on the bench. While they should ideally be playing ahead of Mukesh Kumar, India won't be tempted into making unnecessary changes to the side.

Ravi Bishnoi was virtually unplayable in the first T20I and will be India's most potent weapon once again. Khaleel Ahmed will need to adjust without much swing on offer in the powerplay, while Mukesh and Avesh Khan must be more penetrative.