Based on their recent 2-1 series triumph against Bangladesh in both 20-over and 50-over formats, former India cricketer and ex-member of the senior selection committee Saba Karim believes that Zimbabwe can give the visitors a run for their money before the three-match ODI series begins on Thursday.
However, India still has a strong squad with vice-captain Shikhar Dhawan, stand-in captain KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Deepak Hooda, Ishan Kishan, Sanju Samson, Deepak Chahar, Axar Patel, Avesh Khan, and others. This is despite the fact that several Indian stars, including talismanic batsman Virat Kohli and regular skipper Rohit.
"The young Indian cricket team taking the lead and representing the country in various international series is wonderful to see. The series will be important for preparing the young players for major cricket events, even if the team will be playing under the close supervision of some older players like KL Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan."
In a statement provided by the Sony Sports Network, Karim stated, "I also think Team India shouldn't take Zimbabwe lightly, as their recent performance on the Bangladesh trip has underlined their improvement and they may be able to give Team India a run for their money."
Along with Ajay Jadeja, Maninder Singh, Robin Uthappa, Dirk Viljoen, RP Singh, Mohammad Kaif, Vivek Razdan, and Paul Valthaty, Karim will be a part of the Sony broadcast team for India's three-match ODI series against Zimbabwe.
In addition, Kaif stated that in the absence of experienced cricketers, he expects the young players to seize the possibilities presented in the ODI series against Zimbabwe. "Zimbabwe is in good shape, and this series against India gives them the chance to show off their skills."
But even with several important players absent, India still has a good lineup, and we have a terrific team with guys eager to deliver and seize this chance to make a name for themselves with this series in Zimbabwe.