The Zimbabwe T20I Tri-Series 2025 gets underway today at the Harare Sports Club, featuring hosts Zimbabwe alongside South Africa and New Zealand in what promises to be an exciting contest in the shortest format. Running from July 14 to 26, the series will follow a double round-robin format where each team faces the others twice. The top two teams will then meet in the final on July 26.
Zimbabwe, led by veteran all-rounder Sikandar Raza, will look to bounce back after a recent Test series loss to South Africa. The Chevrons are aiming to make the most of home conditions and recent improvements in T20 cricket. Their squad includes a mix of experienced players and young talent, with fast bowler Richard Ngarava and explosive opener Brian Bennett returning from injury. Raza will play a key role in the middle order, while Bennett is expected to set the tone at the top.
South Africa arrives with a fresh-looking squad under the leadership of Rassie van der Dussen, as several senior players like Aiden Markram and Kagiso Rabada have been rested after a packed international season. The Proteas will depend on rising stars such as Lhuan-dre Pretorius, the leading run-scorer in the recent SA20 league, and pacers Nandre Burger and Gerald Coetzee, who are making comebacks after injury breaks. The team will hope to regain consistency following a patchy run in recent T20I outings.
New Zealand, captained by Mitchell Santner, will begin their campaign against South Africa on July 16. The Kiwis have made last-minute changes to their squad due to injuries, with Finn Allen ruled out and Devon Conway along with James Neesham brought in as replacements.
All matches will be held in Harare, setting the stage for thrilling action while giving Zimbabwe valuable preparation ahead of the Africa T20 World Cup Qualifiers.
Harare Sports Club Pitch Report
The Harare Sports Club pitch is a batsman’s paradise, especially at the start of a match. With its hard, solid surface, it provides great bounce and pace, allowing batters to hit through the line and score freely in the first innings.
As the game progresses, however, the pitch becomes more balanced. While it doesn’t offer a lot of turn or seam movement, bowlers can find success by being accurate and using variations. This makes chasing a difficult task, as teams batting second often face a slowing pitch that offers more help to the bowlers, particularly spinners. For this reason, teams that win the toss almost always choose to bat first, hoping to post a big total while the conditions are at their best.
Harare Sports Club: T20 Stats and Records
- Total matches: 60
- Matches won batting first: 34
- Matches won bowling first: 24
- Average 1st innings scores: 151
- Average 2nd innings scores: 133
- Highest total recorded: 234/2 (20 Ov) by India vs Zimbabwe
- Lowest total recorded: 99/10 (19.5 Ov) by Pakistan vs Zimbabwe
- Highest score chased: 194/5 (19.2 Ov) by Bangladesh vs Zimbabwe
- Lowest score defended: 77/5 (9 Ov) by Zimbabwe vs Ireland
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