Zimbabwe welcome Bangladesh for the 1st ODI at the Harare Sports Club, riding a wave of massive confidence. The hosts are fresh off scripting history in the one-off Test match, where they registered their biggest-ever Test victory by crushing Bangladesh by an innings and 85 runs. Under the new leadership of pace spearhead Richard Ngarava, the Chevrons look exceptionally sharp. With veterans like Sikandar Raza returning to boost the squad alongside the in-form Innocent Kaia (who struck a brilliant 140 in the Test) and young prodigy Brian Bennett, Zimbabwe will aim to repeat their 2022 home series success against the Tigers.
Bangladesh, led by all-rounder Mehidy Hasan Miraz in this 50-over leg, will look to completely reset after their red-ball disaster. Despite the Test setback, the Tigers are a formidable force in the ODI format—currently sitting 9th in the ICC ODI rankings and coming off an impressive 2-1 home series victory over Australia. Backed by key white-ball performers like Litton Das, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Towhid Hridoy, and a potent pace battery featuring Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman, Bangladesh will be eager to assert their white-ball dominance and bounce back strongly.
ZIM vs BAN, 1st ODI: Match Details
- Date and Time: July 6; 1 pm IST / 6:30 am GMT / 9:30 am Local
- Venue: Harare Sports Club, Harare
ZIM vs BAN, Head-to-Head Record
Matches played: 81 | Zimbabwe won: 30 | Bangladesh won: 51 | No result/Tied: 0
Harare Sports Club Pitch Report
The track at the Harare Sports Club traditionally offers a well-balanced contest between bat and ball, but early morning moisture frequently provides a distinct advantage to the fast bowlers. Captains winning the toss generally prefer to bowl first to exploit the early lateral movement and bounce that frontline pacers can generate. As the day progresses and the sun bakes the surface, the pitch tends to flatten out, making it highly conducive for stroke-play, though spinners can extract decent turn in the middle overs. A first-innings total in the range of 250 to 270 is considered highly competitive on this ground.
Squads
Zimbabwe: Brian Bennett, Ryan Burl, Ben Curran, Innocent Kaia, Sikandar Raza, Clive Madande(w), Wessly Madhevere, Craig Ervine, Brad Evans, Richard Ngarava(c), Blessing Muzarabani, Newman Nyamhuri, Wellington Masakadza, Ernest Masuku, Tadiwanashe Marumani
Bangladesh: Saif Hassan, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Litton Das(w), Towhid Hridoy, Mosaddek Hossain, Mehidy Hasan Miraz(c), Tanvir Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Nahid Rana, Rishad Hossain, Soumya Sarkar, Nurul Hasan, Shoriful Islam
Also READ: Zimbabwe announce new ODI captain and power-packed 15-player squad for Bangladesh series
ZIM vs BAN, 1st ODI: Today’s Match Prediction
Case 1:
- Zimbabwe wins the toss and bats first
- Bangladesh powerplay score: 40-50
- Bangladesh total score: 150-160
Case 2:
- Bangladesh wins the toss and bats first
- Zimbabwe powerplay score: 50-60
- Zimbabwe total score: 170-180
Match result: Team bowling first to win the contest
