India Elects to Bat First in Second T20I Against Zimbabwe; Sai Sudarshan Makes His Debut

India's Shubman Gill chose to bat first against Zimbabwe in the second T20I. Sai Sudarshan replaces Khaleel Ahmed and makes his T20I debut. Zimbabwe aims to leverage evening pitch conditions for bowling.

India skipper Shubman Gill opted to bat first after winning the toss against Zimbabwe in the second T20I of the five-match series at Harare Sports Club on Sunday. Left-handed batter Sai Sudarshan will make his T20I debut, replacing left-arm seamer Khaleel Ahmed.

Zimbabwe entered the game with confidence, having defeated India in the first T20I on Saturday thanks to stellar bowling. Gill noted the favorable batting conditions, saying, 'Going to bat first, same wicket like yesterday. The best opportunity for us to bat. Looks dry, it's a nice sunny day. Need to improve our batting, Sudarshan comes in for Khaleel.'

Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza agreed with the decision to bowl first, noting evening conditions. 'Looks like a summer wicket, the pitch will get better. We wanted to bowl first anyway. The changing room is relaxed and happy. Taking one game at a time, we are here for a reason, will try to get our job done,' he added.

(With inputs from agencies.)