Shreyas Iyer will aim to bag the first win of captaincy era with the Indian team when the tour of Zimbabwe kicks off on Thursday. The Men in Blue will face the Sikandar Raza led side in a three-match series with a largely rotated side. Shreyas is at the helm with VVS Laxman and his NCA staff taking over coaching duties in Gautam Gambhir's absence.
India come into the series after a winless T20I run since winning the T20 World Cup earlier this year. Since then Suryakumar Yadav was moved on with Shreyas Iyer replacing him.
The start to Shreyas Iyer's captaincy has been far from smooth. India suffered a humiliating series defeat to Ireland, losing both the games in Belfast. Before that series, Ireland had never beaten India in any international game, but managed to trump the visitors with a dominant effort in both games.
The following England series was also similarly underwhelming. India lost all 4 completed games, while one other match was washed out. Harry Brook's side completely outplayed Shreyas and Co, acing the conditions well and punishing a lackluster bowling attack.
The Zimbabwe series thus represents a fresh start for the Men in Blue. It will not be easy. The Sikandar Raza led outfit have only grown in strength over the past few years and have a reputation for giant killing. India having lost to Ireland will be wary of complacency especially given the conditions are away from home.
On paper though, Shreyas and Co should put up a fight and will be expected to win despite a new look bowling attack. A series defeat in Zimbabwe would seriously dent Shreyas' stocks, despite the Indian management considering it a transition phase.
