India will kick off their three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe on Thursday at the Harare Sports Club, with Shreyas Iyer leading the Men in Blue for the first time.
Here's all you need to know about the live telecast, streaming details, match timing and probable playing XIs.
India vs Zimbabwe, 1st T20I: Date And Time
The 1st T20I between India and Zimbabwe will be played on July 23 from 4:30 p.m. IST.
India vs Zimbabwe, 1st T20I: Venue
The 1st T20I between India and Zimbabwe will be played at the Harare Sports Club, Harare.
India vs Zimbabwe, 1st T20I: Live Telecast
India's tour of Zimbabwe 2026 will be telecast live on the Unite8 Sports network.
India vs Zimbabwe, 1st T20I: Live Streaming
The live stream of India's tour of Zimbabwe 2026 will be available on the FanCode app and website.
India vs Zimbabwe, 1st T20I: Probable Playing XIs
India: Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ishan Kishan (wk), Shreyas Iyer (c), Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Harsh Dubey, Mayank Yadav, Yash Thakur, Prince Yadav
Zimbabwe: Brian Bennett, Wessly Madhevere, Tadiwanashe Marumani (w), Dion Myers, Sikandar Raza (c), Ryan Burl, Milton Shumba, Brad Evans, Newman Nyamhuri, Richard Ngarava, Blessing Muzarabani
India vs Zimbabwe 1st T20I: Head To Head Records
The two countries last played during the Super Eight phase of the T20 World Cup in Chennai, where India secured a commanding 72-run victory after piling up 256 for 4.
- Matches Played: 14
- India Won: 11
- Zimbabwe Won: 3
India have won seven of their last eight T20Is against Zimbabwe.
ALSO READ: 'We Got A Reality Check': Shreyas Iyer On India's T20I Losses To Ireland Ahead Of Zimbabwe Series
India vs Zimbabwe, 1st T20I: Preview
After back-to-back setbacks in Ireland and England, India will be keen to turn the page when they face Zimbabwe. Iyer's men lost the T20I series 2-0 in Ireland before slipping to a 4-0 defeat in England, leaving them eager to rediscover winning form.
With Gautam Gambhir unavailable for the tour, VVS Laxman will step in as India's interim head coach. The spotlight is also set to fall on 15-year-old prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who is tipped to open the batting alongside Abhishek Sharma.
Iyer shared his thoughts ahead of the first T20I. “We need to adapt as soon as we can. That's what we failed to do in Ireland. That was a reality check,” he said at a press conference.
“We had a rough patch in England but a lot of positives out of that. We got to know what we have to build as a team going forward. What kind of presence of mind, awareness and adaptability we need once we step onto the field.
“This is going to be a great challenge for us. Some of us are playing for the first time, so the quicker we adapt, the better result we would be getting,” he said.
A youthful look defines India's squad for the Zimbabwe tour, with selectors handing maiden T20I call-ups to Yash Thakur and Ashok Sharma. Prabhsimran Singh is also poised to win his first international cap.
The squad includes recent arrivals Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Harsh Dubey and Suryansh Shedge, while Mayank Yadav is back in contention after recovering from injury, marking his first appearance since featuring in two T20Is in 2024.
India may start as favourites on paper, but Zimbabwe will be confident of making home conditions count under the leadership of Sikandar Raza. Backed by seasoned campaigners Ryan Burl, Blessing Muzarabani, Richard Ngarava and Brian Bennett, the hosts will be eager to test the visitors throughout the series.
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India vs Zimbabwe T20I: Squads
India: Shreyas Iyer (c), Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma (vc), Ishan Kishan (wk), Shivam Dube, Suryansh Shedge, Rinku Singh, Harsh Dubey, Prince Yadav, Yash Thakur, Ashok Sharma, Mayank Yadav, Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Ravi Bishnoi
Zimbabwe: Sikandar Raza (c), Brian Bennett, Ryan Burl, Tanaka Chivanga, Ben Curran, Brad Evans, Wessly Madhevere, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Wellington Masakadza, Blessing Muzarabani, Dion Myers, Richard Ngarava, Newman Nyamhuri, Milton Shumba, Tafadzwa Tsiga
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