Amidst all the talks and noise around ICC's management of the grueling cricket schedule, the Indian team is on a touring spree and hardly has any kind of breather before the fabled T20I World Cup that is to be played in Australia later this year. After the IPL, India played South Africa in the five-match T20I series followed by the Ireland series which had two matches T20I series. India had recently toured England for a one-off Test match, 3 T20Is, and 3 ODIs. India lost the Test match but managed to win the T20I and ODI series under Rohit Sharma's captaincy.
India is now going to tour the Caribbean island for 3 ODIs and 5 T20Is. With a grueling cricket schedule on hand, the likes of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Jasprit Bumrah have been rested. Shikhar Dhawan will lead India in the 3-match ODI series in West Indies and Rohit Sharma will return to the Indian outfit only when they start with their T20I series.
The Indian team is looking to finalize a proper playing eleven before they head into the multi-nation event and they are going through various drills and trying various combinations to chalk out a core group that can give India better chances of winning the T20I trophy for the second time. The Indian cricket team will travel to Zimbabwe for the first time in six years for a three-match ODI series, next month.
The three ODIs will be played on August 18, 20, and 22 in Harare, the Zimbabwe Cricket Board announced. KL Rahul is expected to lead the Indian side. The series is part of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League, a 13-team competition serving as the main route for direct qualification for the 50-over World Cup to be staged in India next year.
Zimbabwe is currently placed 12th in the 13-team pool, with just three wins in 15 matches. The last time the 'Men in Blue' were in Zimbabwe was when a Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led side played three ODIs and as many T20Is in June-July 2016.
India recently finished their tour of England with a series of victories in T20Is and ODIs. A young Indian team, under the leadership of Shikhar Dhawan, will next play a three-match ODI series against West Indies followed by five T20Is that finish on August 7. Before the series against India, Zimbabwe will host Bangladesh for three T20s from July 30.
They will tour Australia ahead of the marquee event for three ODIs from August 28.
(Inputs from PTI)
