ZIM vs NZ, Preview | The Kiwi's and Chevrons to face-off in T20Is after 10 years

Yesterday at 9:32 PM

Zimbabwe to host New Zealand in game number three of the T20I tri-series at the Harare Sports Club. While Kiwis will be eyeing the top spot on the points table, the hosts would want to break the T20I jinx against the Blackcaps in the upcoming game on Friday.

‌Zimbabwe did not have the best start in the T20I tri-series, where they lost the opening game of the series to South Africa. While the Chevrons had some moments to cherish, which included skipper Sikandar Raza’s half-century and the brilliant display of pace-bowling by the pacers in the powerplay, they failed to dominate the crucial stages of the game once again. They will want to recover from their blunders in the upcoming game to get some wins on the board. It will be a huge challenge against the Blackcaps, whom they have not competed against in the T20I format since 2015 where which was played at the same venue and was unforgettable for them as they were given an 80-run thrashing by them.

Unlike Zimbabwe, New Zealand started their campaign in the T20I tri-series with a remarkable 21-run win against South Africa. The star for New Zealand in the game was up-and-coming young top-order batter Tim Robinson, who scored an incredible half-century during a crucial stage of the game. This will make the Kiwis very confident going into the game, and they will be eyeing their second consecutive win, which will also put them on top of the points table.

Form Guide

ZIM: L NR W NR L

NZ: W W W L W

ZIM vs SA Head-to-Head in T20Is

Zimbabwe and New Zealand have featured together in six T20Is from 2010 to 2015 and are yet to win a game against them

ZIM 0-6 NZ

Pitch and Weather

The surface at the Harare Sports Club seems to have something for both batters and bowlers, where the bowlers manage to get some uneven bounce that unsettles the batters. In the 53 T20I games played at the venue, the team batting first has a win rate of 51.1%, while the team batting second has won 44.4% of the games, which confirms the two-paced nature of the wickets.

The weather in Harare is expected to be clear throughout the afternoon, but it might get slightly cloudy in the evening.

Team News

Zimbabwe will most likely make one change in their lineup by replacing Tashinga Musekiwa with Dion Myers, who played his last T20I in December 2024 against Bangladesh.

New Zealand are expected to remain unchanged in the upcoming game against the hosts.

ZIM Probable XI: Brian Bennet, Wesley Madhevere, Clive Madande (wk), Sikandar Raza (c), Ryan Burl, Dion Myers, Tony Munyonga, Wellington Masakadza, Richard Ngarava, Blessing Muzarabani, Trevor Gwandu.

NZ Probable XI: Tim Seifert (wk), Devon Conway, Tim Robinson, Daryl Mitchell, Mitch Hay, Bevon Jacobs, Jimmy Neesham, Mitchell Santner (capt), 9 Matt Henry, 10 Ish Sodhi,11 Jacob Duffy.