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ToggleThe SL vs ZIM first ODI will be played in Colombo on January 6. 2023 Saturday. The match starts at 2.30 pm IST. All three SL vs ZIM matches will be played in Colombo. Unfortunately, there is a rain prediction for the first ODI on Saturday.
Sri Lanka kicks off their 2024 season with a home series against Zimbabwe. They endured a forgetful World Cup campaign and now will look to start afresh under a new leader and a new management. Heading into this ODI series, Sri Lanka are placed seventh in the ICC ODI rankings while Zimbabwe is seventh.
Zimbabwe met Sri Lanka in the ODI World Cup qualifiers earlier this year. They lost 2-1 to Sri Lanka the last time they toured Sri Laka in 2021-22 Zimbabwe won the the previous ODI series between the two sides in the 2017-28 season 3-2 which was also played in Sri Lanka.
The two teams have played 61 ODIs with the Lankans winning 47 games and the Aftercan nation 12. Two matches have ended in no result. The two teams have played just three T20Is with Sri Lanka winning all three. Sri Lanka have won 14 of the 20 Test matches played between the two sides. Zimbabwe are yet to win a Test match against Sri Lanka.
SL vs ZIM Match Preview- 1st ODI, 2024
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka will be led by Kusal Mendis in this ODI series. The selector committee headed by Upul Tharanga named three new captains across formats for the national team. Kusal Mendis will lead the ODI team. Wanincu Hasaranga has been named the T20I skipper and Dhananjaya de Silva the Test skipper. Tharanga said that he wanted to name one captain across formats but that would be too much to ask for given the current experience of the side.
Dasun Shanaka was axed from his leadership role in white-ball formats. Senior players Angelo Mathews and Dimuth Karunaratne were ignored for the role as the board wanted to invest in young players. Meanwhile, there are question marks over Hasaranga’s fitness for the series. He missed the World Cup with injury concerns and his participation in the three-match series is subject to fitness. The legspinner missed the World Cup due to a hamstring injury.
The Sri Lankan squad is filled with experienced bowlers with Akila Dananjaya recalled into the side as well. He has played international cricket for Sri Laka in 2021. The pace attack is led by Dusmantha Chameera along with Pramod Madushan and Dilshan Madushanka for company. He recently bagged his maiden IPL deal with Mumbai Indians. Meanwhile, latest reports say that Pathun Missanka the batter has been ruled out of the series due to a suspected Dengue infection. Shevon Daniel, the 19-year-old batter has been named as his replacement.
Sri Lanka Squad
Pathum Nissanka, Nuwanidu Fernando, Kusal Mendis(w/c), Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Dasun Shanaka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dunith Wellalage, Dushmantha Chameera, Maheesh Theekshana, Jeffrey Vandersay, Akila Dananjaya, Avishka Fernando, Pramod Madushan, Janith Liyanage, Sahan Arachchige, Dilshan Madushanka
Zimbabwe Squad
Zimbabwe are ranked 11th in ODIs heading into this series. They lost an ODI series against Ireland last month. The African nation failed to qualify for the T20 World Cup 2024 losing out in the African qualifier to Uganda. They played the T20 World Cup 2022 and missing out on the next World Cup shows the irregularities in their cricket in recent times.
They also failed to qualify for the ODI World Cup and have missed playing the last two World Cups. Craig Ervine will lead Zimbabwe with him needing his senior players to back him to challenge Sri Lanka at home. Eyes will be on Sikandar Raza the Zimbabwe T20I skipper to have a good series and step up with bat and ball.
Zimbabwe do not have a regular spinner apart from Raza and it will be interesting to see how they cope with that problem.
Zimbabwe Squad
Joylord Gumbie(w), Tinashe Kamunhukamwe, Milton Shumba, Takudzwanashe Kaitano, Craig Ervine(c), Sikandar Raza, Clive Madande, Luke Jongwe, Wellington Masakadza, Richard Ngarava, Blessing Muzarabani, Faraz Akram, Tony Munyonga, Tapiwa Mufudza, Ryan Burl
