In a rain-affected first T20I in Harare, Ireland won the toss and chose to bowl against Zimbabwe, with the match shortened to nine overs per side. Opener Ross Adair was sidelined due to a calf injury, replaced by Neil Rock, who will hand over wicketkeeping to Lorcan Tucker. Mark Adair is also out of the series due to injury. Ireland’s pace attack includes Josh Little, Graham Hume, and Craig Young. Zimbabwe retains Brian Bennett and Tadiwanashe Marumani as openers, with Ryan Burl returning and Tony Munyonga replacing Dion Myers. Both teams have a reduced powerplay of three overs.
Toss Ireland opted to bowl against Zimbabwe
Ireland decided to pursue the target after the opening T20I against Zimbabwe was reduced to nine overs per side due to rain in Harare.
The toss was postponed for over two hours before Paul Stirling successfully called and invited Zimbabwe to bat.
Ireland was missing opener Ross Adair, who had made a match-winning century against South Africa during their last T20I in September of the previous year, as he is sidelined with a calf injury that has ruled him out for the series. Neil Rock will take the lead with the bat but will pass the wicketkeeping duties to Lorcan Tucker, who returns to the playing eleven.
Mark Adair, Ross’ brother, was also unavailable for the series due to an injury sustained during the ODIs against Zimbabwe, and Ireland will field a pace attack featuring Josh Little, Graham Hume, and Craig Young, who replaced Adair in the squad. Little is making his first T20I appearance for Ireland since the 2024 T20 World Cup.
Curtis Campher is also included as a seam-bowling option.
Brian Bennett, who recently scored an impressive century in the first ODI, will continue to open the batting for Zimbabwe alongside Tadiwanashe Marumani, with Dion Myers being substituted by allrounder Tony Munyonga. Ryan Burl is returning for Zimbabwe, while Faraz Akram is making way after their last T20I match, which was against Afghanistan in December.
Both teams will have a powerplay consisting of just three overs.
Zimbabwe 1 Brian Bennett, 2 Tadiwanashe Marumani (wk), 3 Wessly Madhevere, 4 Tashinga Musekiwa, 5 Sikandar Raza (capt), 6 Ryan Burl, 7 Wellington Masakadza, 8 Richard Ngarava, 9 Blessing Muzarabani, 10 Trevor Gwandu, 11 Tony Munyonga
Ireland 1 Paul Stirling (capt), 2 Neil Rock, 3 Curtis Campher, 4 Harry Tector, 5 Lorcan Tucker (wk), 6 George Dockrell, 7 Gareth Delany, 8 Ben White, 9 Graham Hume, 10 Josh Little, 11 Craig Young