Harare (Zimbabwe)

Ahead of the opening T20I against Zimbabwe on Thursday, Indian skipper Shreyas Iyer expressed confidence about India's preparations, saying the team is focused on acclimatising quickly and delivering the desired results.

He described the tour as an exciting opportunity and stressed the importance of staying present and embracing every challenge.

India's newly appointed T20I captain Shreyas Iyer endured a difficult start to his leadership stint, with the team suffering a 2-0 series defeat against Ireland followed by a 4-0 loss to England, with one match abandoned due to rain.

Iyer will aim for his first win as India's T20 skipper when his side lock horns against Zimbabwe on Thursday in Harare.

"Definitely, it is going to be a thrilling series. Looking forward to playing an exciting game over here. We definitely want to be on the winning side. So let's get used to the practice session, the weather, the conditions as quickly as possible and see to it that we get the best results. I'm excited to be here. It's a great opportunity. I see it as an amazing opportunity. Can't be thinking beyond, but I want to stay in the present and embrace each and every moment as much as possible," Iyer said in a video posted by BCCI.

The spotlight will once again be on teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. Harare holds special significance for the 15-year-old, who announced himself on the global stage with a blistering 175 off 80 balls against England in the U-19 World Cup final in January.

His opening partner, Abhishek Sharma, also enjoys fond memories of the venue, having scored his maiden T20I century there in 2024.

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India's squad for Zimbabwe T20Is:

Shreyas Iyer (Captain), Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma (Vice-Captain), Ishan Kishan (WK), Shivam Dube, Suryansh Shedge, Rinku Singh, Harsh Dubey, Prince Yadav, Yash Thakur, Ashok Sharma, Mayank Yadav, Prabhsimran Singh (WK), Ravi Bishnoi.