Zimbabwe and Bangladesh are set to face each other in the first T20I of the three-match series, scheduled to be played on Wednesday in Bulawayo. Zimbabwe, having claimed both the one-off Test and the ODI series, are on the verge of winning every format in a single home campaign against Bangladesh. So far, they have been in scorching form, running high on confidence following excellent outings in Test and ODIs. At the T20I World Cup 2026 as well, Zimbabwe remained incredibly dominant, registering memorable wins over Sri Lanka and Australia.

Now, Zimbabwe have an ideal opportunity to continue building on that success. On the other hand, Bangladesh head into the series searching for a much-needed turnaround after enduring a difficult run in T20 cricket. Things become more complicated for them after their most recent T20I assignment against Australia ended in a disappointing 3-0 home defeat. The most frustrating thing for Bangladesh has been the inconsistency in their batting that has led to their repeated failure.

Adding insult to injury is the absence of regular captain Litton Das, who will miss the series due to injury. In his absence, Towhid Hridoy will lead the side. Players like Towhid Hridoy, Tanzid Hasan, Saif Hassan, and Mosaddek Hossain will be crucial for Bangladesh in determining success. Zimbabwe, meanwhile have a settled batting attack, boasting the likes of Ben Curran, Brian Bennett, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Sikandar Raza, and Ryan Burl. 

Head-to-head

Matches - 24

ZIM won - 8

BAN won - 16

Zimbabwe probable XI: Ben Curran, Brian Bennett, Tadiwanashe Marumani (wk), Sikandar Raza (c), Ryan Burl, Tony Munyonga, Clive Madande, Brad Evans, Wellington Masakadza, Richard Ngarava, Blessing Muzarabani

Bangladesh probable XI: Tanzid Hasan, Saif Hassan, Parvez Hossain Emon, Towhid Hridoy (c), Nurul Hasan (wk), Mosaddek Hossain, Rishad Hossain, Nasum Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Abdul Gaffar Saqlain, Nahid Rana