ZIM vs IND – 2nd T20
Tour: India’s 2026 tour of Zimbabwe
Date: Saturday, July 25, 2026
Local Time: 1:00 PM (Harare) GMT: 11:00 AM IST: 4:30 PM
Toss Result: Zimbabwe’s skipper won the call and elected to bowl first, putting India in to bat.
Venue & Officials
Ground: Harare Sports Club – a 10,000-seater stadium with the City End and Club House End. This venue has hosted cricket for Rhodesia, Zimbabwe, and Mashonaland over the decades.
On-Field Umpires: Iknow Chabi and Langton Rusere
Third Umpire: Forster Mutizwa
Match Referee: Andy Pycroft
Zimbabwe – Playing XI
Brian Bennett, Ben Curran, Dion Myers, Sikandar Raza (captain), Ryan Burl, Wessly Madhevere, Tadiwanashe Marumani (wicketkeeper), Brad Evans, Newman Nyamhuri, Richard Ngarava, Blessing Muzarabani.
Bench: Tafadzwa Tsiga, Innocent Kaia, Tanaka Chivanga, Wellington Masakadza
India – Playing XI
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (wk), Shreyas Iyer (captain), Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Shivam Dube, Ravi Bishnoi, Prince Yadav, Yash Thakur, Mayank Yadav.
Bench: Suryansh Shedge, Harsh Dubey, Prabhsimran Singh, Ashok Sharma.
Coaching Panel: VVS Laxman, Sunil Joshi, and Hrishikesh Kanitkar.
Famous For: A classic African batting track, though seamers get early movement—which explains why the side bowling first might have the upper hand today. Watch the Match Live on CRICLIVE360
Saturday’s India vs Zimbabwe 2nd T20 at the Harare Sports Club turned into a one-sided affair, as the visitors unleashed a brutal power-hitting show before their bowlers completed the demolition job.. Asked to bat first after Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza won the toss and elected to field, the visitors recovered from an early wobble to post a commanding 219 forThe visitors’ imposing score represented their ninth 200-plus innings of the year, matching the record they had previously set for the most such totals in a single calendar year.
The India vs Zimbabwe 2nd T20 witnessed a breathtaking recovery after the visitors slumped to 29 for two inside the first three overs. Opener Abhishek Sharma fell for eight, while the teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi dazzled briefly with a 20 off nine balls before Richard Ngarava removed him.
Kishan and Tilak Steer India Out of Trouble
Skipper Shreyas Iyer walked in at number four and began the repair job alongside Ishan Kishan. The pair added 66 runs for the third wicket, with Iyer contributing a composed 25 off 20 balls before Brian Bennett dismissed him.
Then came the partnership that defined the India vs Zimbabwe 2nd T20. Ishan Kishan and Tilak Varma joined forces and produced a match-defining 94-run stand from just 43 deliveries. Kishan, who had paced his innings with remarkable composure, brought up his fifty in 31 balls before shifting gears. The wicketkeeper-batsman finished with a brilliant 81 off 44 deliveries, laced with nine fours and two sixes.
Tilak Varma, meanwhile, produced an innings of sheer class. Unbeaten on 60 from just 29 balls, the left-hander smashed five fours and three towering sixes. His fifty came in only 23 deliveries. Speaking after the innings, Tilak expressed satisfaction with the total. “Shreyas and I were talking that anything around 200 would be a really good score here. Tilak later explained that the team always aims high, and with Ishan striking the ball so cleanly, what starts as a target of 200 can quickly become 220 or more.
Rinku Singh chipped in with a brisk 12 off eight balls before falling to Brad Evans in the final over. Shivam Dube remained unbeaten on six from three deliveries as India finished with an imposing 219 for five. The visitors amassed 61 runs in the last five overs, underlining the depth and firepower of their batting lineup.
Zimbabwe’s Bowling Effort Falls Short
Zimbabwe’s bowlers toiled hard but found little respite on a batting-friendly surface. Each of the five Zimbabwe bowlers—Muzarabani, Ngarava, Evans, Nyamhuri, and Bennett—managed just a single wicket, yet none could slow down India’s relentless run flow.Captain Sikandar Raza endured a difficult outing, conceding 47 runs from his four overs without a wicket.
The Chase That Never Took Off
Chasing 220, Zimbabwe never looked comfortable in the India vs Zimbabwe 2nd T20. The hosts lost wickets at regular intervals and were eventually bundled out for just 129, handing India a comprehensive 90-run victory.
Debutant Yash Thakur made an immediate impact, claiming two wickets in a promising first outing. Prince Yadav, who had impressed in the opening game, picked up two wickets in his eight deliveries before a hamstring issue forced him off the field. The part-timers then stepped up brilliantly, sharing five wickets between them. Abhishek Sharma led the spin attack with a brilliant three-wicket haul.
The Indian bowlers maintained relentless pressure throughout the chase. Ravi Bishnoi and Shivam Dube also chipped in with crucial wickets, ensuring Zimbabwe never got close to the required run rate.
A Historic Milestone for Shreyas Iyer
The victory in the India vs Zimbabwe 2nd T20 carried special significance for captain Shreyas Iyer. This was his first T20I series win after taking over as India captain, having lost the previous two series against Ireland and England. The 90-run triumph gave India an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series with one game still to play.
Key Takeaways from the Match
The India vs Zimbabwe 2nd T20 showcased several positives for the visitors. Ishan Kishan’s return to form with a blistering 81 will boost his confidence enormously. Anchoring with patience, exploding with power, and ending unbeaten—that was Tilak Varma’s perfect script yet again. The bowling attack, though depleted by a few notable absences, delivered a performance brimming with discipline and wicket-taking threat.
For Zimbabwe, the series defeat will be disappointing, but there were some encouraging signs. The early breakthroughs with the new ball showed promise, and the hosts will look to salvage some pride in the final match.
Looking Ahead
With the series already secured, India will likely experiment with their combination in the final T20I. The India vs Zimbabwe 2nd T20 has confirmed that this Indian side, even without several first-choice players, possesses incredible depth in both batting and bowling departments.
The victory in Harare not only gave Shreyas Iyer his first series win as captain but also extended India’s remarkable record of posting 200-plus totals in T20Is. The Men in Blue have now crossed the 200-run mark 52 times in T20I cricket, comfortably ahead of South Africa, who are next on the list with 29 such totals.
As the series moves to its final match, Zimbabwe will be desperate to avoid a whitewash. However, based on the evidence of the India vs Zimbabwe 2nd T20, the visitors look far too strong for the hosts on current form. The Indian batting lineup, led by the destructive duo of Kishan and Tilak, appears unstoppable, while the bowling attack offers enough variety to trouble any opposition.
For now, Shreyas Iyer and his men can celebrate a thoroughly deserved series victory—one that will be remembered as the captain’s first major achievement in the shortest format.