After a 3-match T20I series, Zimbabwe and Afghanistan will be up against each other in a 3-match ODI series. This will be the first game of the series. It will start on 17th December 2024 at 1:00 PM IST. The venue for this game will be Harare Sports Club, Harare.
Zimbabwe lost the T20I series 2-1 after winning the first game. They’ll be eager to do well in the ODI series but they have to be on their toes to do so. The likes of Sikandar Raza, Sean Williams and Craig Ervine will be the key players for the hosts.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan has recently defeated South Africa and Bangladesh in a 3-match ODI series, respectively. They have some solid spinners in their ranks and the batters have also done a great job. They’ll be eyeing a win to start the ODI series.
Zimbabwe: Joylord Gumbie, Tadiwanashe Marumani (wk), Dion Myers, Craig Ervine (c), Sean Williams, Sikandar Raza, Brian Bennett, Brandon Mavuta, Richard Ngarava, Blessing Muzarabani, Trevor Gwandu
Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Azmatullah Omarzai, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Allah Ghazanfar, Nangeyalia Kharote/Mujeeb ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi
The pitch is expected to be a balanced one. There will be something for everyone. The pacer will get some movement, especially in the first innings with the new ball and spinners will come into play as the game progresses. Batters, once set, will enjoy batting at this wicket. Scores in the range of 250-260 are expected. Teams may prefer chasing.
Showers are predicted during the game time and we may get a rain-interrupted game. The temperature will be around 22 degrees Celsius.
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Craig Ervine (ZIM)
Sean Williams (ZIM)
Rahmanullah Gurbaz (AFG)
Rashid Khan (AFG)
Sikandar Raza (ZIM)
Azmatullah Omarzai (AFG)
Tadiwanashe Marumani (ZIM)
Based on current form and team balance, Afghanistan will start as the favourites to win this match. They’ve been in great form as a team in recent times. Zimbabwe, meanwhile, depends a lot on some of the players to win the games.