IND vs ZIM, 1st T20I 2026 Toss Report and Playing XIs Live Update: India Opt To Bowl, Ashok Sharma Makes International Debut

India captain Shreyas Iyer has won the toss and elected to field first against Zimbabwe in the IND vs ZIM 1st T20I 2026 of the three-match series at the Harare Sports Club on Thursday. The match marks a significant career milestone for 24-year-old Rajasthan fast bowler Ashok Sharma, who makes his international debut for India. Apart from Sharma, Ben Curran and Newman Nyamhuri are making their T20I debuts for Zimbabwe.

Iyer confirmed at the toss, that India are playing three seamers and one solitary spinner.

Sharma is a promising Indian fast bowler known for his disciplined line, length, and ability to generate genuine pace. Hailing from Rajasthan, he drew early attention through impressive performances in domestic age-group cricket and local T20 tournaments. His sharp bowling action and consistent wicket-taking ability earned him a spot in the Indian Premier League (IPL) when he was picked up by the Gujarat Titans. Continuing his steady progression, with performances during IND-A's tour of Sri Lanka, Sharma's potential and ability to bowl effectively in both opening and death overs recently earned him his maiden call-up to the national squad for India's T20I tour of Zimbabwe. Who Is Ashok Sharma? All You Need To Know About Gujarat Titans Pacer Who Bowled Fastest IPL 2026 Delivery.

Playing XIs

India: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (wk), Shreyas Iyer c), Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Shivam Dube, Ravi Bishnoi, Prince Yadav, Ashok Sharma, Mayank Yadav

Zimbabwe

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 23, 2026 04:08 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).