Published on: Jul 17, 2025 8:30 pm IST|Updated on: Jul 17, 2025 4:31 pm IST
New Zealand have begun their Tri-series campaign with an enthralling win over South Africa by 21 runs at the Harare Sports Club. Up next, they are all set to face the hosts, Zimbabwe, on July 18 in the third match of the Zimbabwe Tri-Nation Series.
With their win over South Africa, New Zealand have taken the pole position on the points table with the best net run rate among the three teams. The Blackcaps proved to be too good against an inexperienced Proteas lineup, as they thumped them quite comfortably in the end after scoring 173 in the first innings. After their perfect showing in the previous game, there’s no doubt about the fact that New Zealand will be the sure-shot favorites to win this encounter.
The hosts, Zimbabwe, on the other hand, is the only team without a win in this tri-series so far. They lost their opening fixture to South Africa by 5 wickets, and this would be their second game of the series. Interestingly, Zimbabwe has never beaten New Zealand in a T20 international, and this could be an alarming sign for the hosts. It would be interesting to see how the hosts will cope with added pressure.
Let’s delve deeper into this post for the ZIM vs NZ Dream11 prediction.
Also Read: ZIM vs NZ Today’s Match Prediction & Cricket Betting Tips: T20I Tri-Series in Zimbabwe, 3rd T20I, July 18
Date: 18th July 2025 Time: 04:30 PM IST Venue: Harare Sports Club, Harare
Matches Played: 6 ZIM won: 0 NZ won: 6 No Result: 0 Tied: 0
Zimbabwe and New Zealand have collided 6 times in T20Is, and in each instance, it’s the Blackcaps who have had the upper hand. It’s sheer dominance from New Zealand over Zimbabwe in T20Is.
The pitch at Harare Sports Club for the third match of the Zimbabwe Tri-Series between Zimbabwe and New Zealand is expected to be batting-friendly early on, offering good bounce and carry for stroke-makers. Seamers may find some swing with the new ball, but as the match progresses, the surface tends to slow down, bringing spinners into play. The average first innings score at this venue hovers around 150–155, and teams batting first have historically enjoyed more success. Captains winning the toss might lean towards setting a target, especially with the pitch likely to grip under lights, making chasing a bit tricky.
Here are some key T20I match stats from the Harare Sports Club in Harare:
NZ Expected Playing XI: Tim Seifert (WK), Devon Conway/Rachin Ravindra, Tim Robinson, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Hay/Glenn Phillips, Bevon Jacobs, James Neesham/Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (C), Matt Henry, Ish Sodhi, Jacob Duffy
ZIM Expected Playing XI: Brian Bennett, Wessly Madhevere, Clive Madande (wk), Sikandar Raza (c), Ryan Burl, Dion Myers/Tashinga Musekiwa, Tony Munyonga, Wellington Masakadza, Richard Ngarava, Blessing Muzarabani, Trevor Gwandu
As per the betting odds provided by most of the bettors, New Zealand is tipped as the favorite to win this match and hold on to their table top position.
The 3rd match of the Zimbabwe Tri-Series between Zimbabwe and New Zealand will take place on Friday, July 18, at 04:30 PM (IST). Online live streaming will take place on the Sony Liv app. The TV streaming will take place on Sony Ten 1, 2 & 5.
Wicket-keepers: Clive Madande, Tim Seifert Batters: Daryl Mitchell, Brian Bennett, Tim Robinson All-Rounders: Ryan Burl, Sikandar Raza, Mitchell Santner Bowlers: Matt Henry, Richard Ngarava, Jacob Duffy
C/VC Options- Mitchell Santner, Tim Seifert, Sikandar Raza, Tim Robinson