ZIM vs IND 2022: 3 Zimbabwe players India need to be wary of

India and Zimbabwe are all set to lock horns in a three-match ODI series beginning next week. The opening contest of the series will take place on Thursday, August 18, at the Harare Sports Club in Harare.

The ground is scheduled to host the next two games as well, which will be played on August 20 and August 22, respectively.

Despite resting regular players including Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, and many others, India will head into the series as strong favorites.

After undergoing a fitness test, KL Rahul, who wasn't initially selected, was added to the team. He was also named the skipper, with Shikhar Dhawan being named his deputy.

While it will be an arduous task to overcome the Indian threat, Zimbabwe will be brimming with confidence after their impressive 2-1 win over Bangladesh in a three-match ODI series. The underdogs also beat Bangladesh 2-1 in a T20I series for the very first time in their history.

Hosting India for the first time since 2016, Zimbabwe will hope to give the Men in Blue a run for their money. While they don't have a star-studded lineup, the hosts do have some players who can pose a genuine challenge.

These players possess enough talent and ability to spoil India's plans and put a spanner in their works.

Let's take a look at three such players in the Zimbabwe team whom India need to be wary of during the upcoming ODIs.

---

#3. Ryan Burl

Ryan Burl has some outstanding strokeplay

An ideal player for white-ball cricket, Ryan Burl is a talented all-rounder who bats in the lower order and is a decent leg-spinner. The left-handed batsman is a firm striker of the ball and is capable of some big hits.

In a T20I game against Bangladesh recently, Burl produced a match-winning innings where he scored 54 off 28. During his explosive knock, the 28-year-old registered a phenomenal 34 runs off a single over from Nasum Ahmed, hitting five sixes and a four against the unfortunate bowler.

Burl will aim to put a relatively inexperienced Indian bowling attack under pressure in the upcoming series. The all-rounder has 45 international wickets to his name as well, and can be a more than handy option if the pitch starts to become a little tricky.

---

#2. Luke Jongwe

Luke Jongwe celebrating a wicket in a most unusual manner [P.C: ICC]

A deceptive pacer from Harare, Luke Jongwe will be significant for Zimbabwe against a potent Indian batting unit. With a mix of variations in his repertoire, Jongwe has been a consistent white-ball bowler for his side.

While the 27-year-old can do a bit with the new ball, he is nifty with the old cherry also and can use his change of pace and wide yorkers to great effect. The right-armer has a knack for picking wickets, claiming 10 scalps in seven ODIs since last year.

In T20Is, he has been a vital asset for Zimbabwe. In his last 29 T20I encounters, Jongwe has scalped 42 wickets – the most by any Zimbabwe bowler in this period.

With no Blessing Muzarabani in the squad against India, the onus will be on Jongwe to deliver for the hosts in the upcoming three-match series.

---

#1. Sikandar Raza

Sikandar Raza has scored two tons in ODIs this year [P.C: ICC]

There is every other Zimbabwe player on one side, and Sikandar Raza on the other. The Pakistan-born Zimbabwe veteran has been in fabulous form with both bat and ball this year.

The all-rounder has been a warrior for his side since his debut in 2013 and has been a vital cog in their setup through highs and lows. In 2022, Raza has been in the form of his life, amassing 988 runs in 24 innings across formats so far at an average of 50.

This includes his two back-to-back centuries against Bangladesh recently in the ODI series, which powered his team to victories. He has also scored two half-centuries in ODIs along with four fifties in the T20I format.

After winning the Player of the Tournament award in the ICC T20 World Cup Qualifiers, Raza pulled out all the stops against Bangladesh. The right-handed dasher was adjudged the Player of the Series in both the ODI and T20I series after his remarkable performances in almost every game of the tour.

The 36-year-old has been very effective with his off-spin as well, claiming 21 wickets this year across both formats (the most by any Zimbabwe bowler this year). Zimbabwe fans will hope Raza weaves his magic against a mighty Indian unit as well.