Bangladesh will face Zimbabwe for the 1st T20I match of the 5-match series starting from May 3 at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram. Bangladesh, who saw a break in their winning run after losing against Sri Lanka, will look forward to regaining momentum and confidence in this series. On the other hand, Zimbabwe will take this series as an ideal preparation for the T20I World Cup 2024. The match will start at 6:00 PM BST.

BAN vs ZIM 1st T20I 2024: Match Details

Table: Schedule and venue of the first T20 Match between Bangladesh and Zimbabwe

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First T20I Match between Bangladesh vs Zimbabwe in 2024: Preview

Nazmul Hossain Shanto and Sikandar Raza are responsible for leading Bangladesh and Zimbabwe respectively in this series. Bangladesh will depend on Litton Das, Soumya Sarkar, and Nazmul Hossain Shanto in the top order. 

The middle order is expected to be led by Tawhid Hridoy and then carried by Mahmudullah Riyad and Jaker Ali. Apart from that, the pace trio of Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, and Tanzim Hasan Sakib are expected to play a big role in this game. However, the real competition would be for no. 7 and 8 positions. Rishad Hossain, Mahedi Hasan and Mohammad Saifuddin are all in an equal battle and have equal claims for this position. But it is unlikely for Bangladesh to go with 4 pacers. Hence, Mahedi and Rishad should grab the spots for the first games. Another option could be to go with all three of them and drop one of the frontline seamers.

Operations Chairman of BCB Jalal Yunus has emphasised managing the workload for seamers in previous press interviews. After a long DPL season, this series would be a good opportunity to rotate the seamers. This can be beneficial for workload management as well as finding the best combination of seamers ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024.

Zimbabwe would highly depend on their star and most in-form player Sikandar Raza with both bowling and batting. They have put a good amount of weight on the performance of African Games Cricket 2023 in their squad selection. Clive Mandane, Brian Bennett, and Johnathan Campbell got call-ups in their squad after their performances in this tournament. Johnathan Campbell, son of former Zimbabwean captain Alistair Campbell, got his maiden call-up in this series. 

Their batting will be reliant on Craig Ervine and Sean Williams anchoring, and Sikandar Raza-Ryan Burl’s explosiveness. Apart from that they’d expect the likes of Tadiwanashe Marumani and Brian Bennett to step up. Their bowling department will be primarily led by Richard Ngrava and Blessing Muzarabani. Wellington Masakadza will have his part to play as well. Apart from that, Sikandar Raza’s off-spin can be their trump card. Johnathan Campbell might have a key role to play here as well with his leg-spin. 

Read more: Squad announced for first 3 T20Is against Zimbabwe

Bangladesh vs Zimbabwe H2H T20I Records So Far

Table: Head-to-head T20I records between Bangladesh and Zimbabwe 

Bangladesh vs Zimbabwe always provide an exciting battle for the fans and audiences. These two sides have met 20 times. Bangladesh came out victorious 13 times and Zimbabwe won 7 of them. 

They have fought in seven bilateral series, of which Bangladesh won three and Zimbabwe won only 1. The rest were a tie. 

However, Zimbabwe is the winner of the last series between these two sides in Zimbabwe 2022. On the other hand, Bangladesh won the last game between these two sides in the 2022 T20 World Cup. 

Read more: Bangladesh vs Zimbabwe T20 Series 2024: Fixtures, Head-To-Head Records

Bangladesh Squad Against Zimbabwe

Najmul Hossain Shanto (Captain), Mahmud Ullah, Litton Kumer Das, Tawhid Hridoy, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Sharif Uddin, Jaker Ali Anik, Taskin Ahmed, Shak Mahedi Hasan, Tanvir Islam, Rishad Hossain, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Shoriful Islam, Parvez Hossain Emon, Mohammad Saifuddin, and Afif Hossain. 

Zimbabwe Squad Against Bangladesh

Sikandar Raza (Captain), Clive Madande, Faraz Akram, Wellington Masakadza, Ryan Burl, Johnathan Campbell, Joylord Gumbie, Craig Ervine, Luke Jongwe, Brian Bennett, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Sean Williams, Blessing Muzarabani, Ainsley Ndlovu, and Richard Ngarava.

Read more: Zimbabwe cricketers arrive in Dhaka for 5-match T20I series against hosts

Key Players to Watch from Bangladesh Team

Litton Kumer Das

Litton Kumer Das has been a crucial factor in Bangladesh’s rise since T20I 2023. His quick starts in the powerplay set the momentum for a big score. Similarly, he can go big as well. In his last 10 innings, Litton scored 345 runs with an average of 38.33. Bangladesh would look for similar returns in this game as well.

Shoriful Islam

Shoriful Islam has developed himself as the key strike bowler of Bangladesh in recent times. He picked up 8 wickets in the last 6 games with a strike rate of 16.25.  His success in making the batters of the opposition team unstable in the opening overs makes him a key player for this team. 

Rishad Hossain

Rishad Hossain is one of the newest finds for Bangladesh. He sorts two sides where Bangladesh has been struggling for a long time. He can play as a pinch hitter in the lower-middle order. At the same time, his leg-spin is also a great help for the Bangladesh team. 

Read more: Analyzing Bangladesh Preliminary Squad in the Upcoming BAN vs ZIM T20I Series 2024

Key Players to Watch from the Zimbabwe Team

Sikandar Raza

Sikandar Raza is the biggest threat to the opposition. His all-round capability as well as playing big roles in almost all the wins of Zimbabwe. He scored 398 runs and picked up 13 wickets in the last 8 games.  This vastly experienced campaigner would be crucial for Zimbabwe.

Ryan Burl

Ryan Burl can take games away from the opponent with his big hits. He also shines against Bangladesh. He averages around 60 against Bangladesh. His explosive batting would be key in pitches like Chattogram

Richard Ngrava

Richard Ngrava is arguably the most in-form bowler for Zimbabwe currently. Picking up 16 wickets in the last 10 games with a strike rate of 13.75 makes him the most dangerous bowler for Zimbabwe in this game.

Final Words 

In the upcoming BAN vs ZIM T20I Series 2024, both teams are well-equipped to beat the opponent. Bangladesh might start the series as a favourite due to being the host country. But Zimbabwe will fight an equal battle under the captaincy of Sikandar Raza.

Read more: What lies ahead for Bangladesh spinners under Mushtaq Ahmed's guidance