IND vs ZIM playing XIs, 2nd T20I: India drop Khaleel Ahmed after shock defeat in first game

IND vs ZIM playing XIs for 2nd T20 match — Image Source : PTI Sikandar Raza and Shubman Gill during the IND vs ZIM 1st T20 game in Harare on July 6, 2024

Captain Shubman Gill won the crucial toss as India elected to bat first in the second T20I match against Zimbabwe in Harare on Sunday, July 7. After a shock and embarrassing defeat in the first game, the Men in Blue made one major change to their playing eleven.

The young batter Sai Sudharsan came in the starting eleven for his T20I debut. Sudharsan replaced fast bowler Khaleel Ahmed as India decided to go with an extra batter after failing to chase a 116-run target in the first game. Sikandar Raza confirmed no changes to Zimbabwe's playing XI after a stunning 13-run win in the series opener.

"Going to bat first, the same wicket as yesterday," Shubman Gill said after winning the toss. "Best opportunity for us to bat. Looks dry, it's a nice sunny day. Need to improve our batting, Sai Sudharsan comes in for Khaleel Ahmed."

Sai, the 22-year-old left-handed batter, made his ODI debut last year and impressed everyone with two match-winning fifties in three games. The Gujarat Titans batter also enjoyed a sensational IPL 2024 campaign where he top-scored with 527 runs in 14 innings for his team.

However, the GT batter was snubbed for the recent T20 World Cup 2024 team selection and was not part of the initial squad for the Zimbabwe tour. He was included in the team for the first two matches after Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sanju Samson's involvement with the World Cup-winning team.

Meanwhile, Khaleel Ahmed returned to T20Is after a gap of almost four months and failed to pick a wicket in the first match. The left-arm pacer also proved costly by leaking 9.33 runs per over as the spinners enjoyed good help from the surface at Harare Sports Club.