Who will win today between Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka?

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2025.08.31

The Islanders won the opening ODI and now have a 1-0 series lead.

When Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka face off again at the Harare Sports Club on Sunday (August 31), the stage is set for the second and last One-Day International of the Sri Lanka tour to Zimbabwe 2025. With the first game being a classic that lasted to the very last over, the series has already produced considerable drama. Sri Lanka had the opportunity to end the series in a spectacular manner going into this match after their close 7-run victory.

ZIM vs SL, 2nd ODI: Predicted XI of both teams

Zimbabwe: Ben Curran, Brian Bennett, Brendan Taylor (wk), Sean Williams (c), Sikandar Raza, Wessly Madhevere, Tony Munyonga, Brad Evans, Richard Ngarava, Blessing Muzarabani, Trevor Gwandu

Sri Lanka: Pathum Nissanka, Nishan Madushka, Kusal Mendis (wk), Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka (c), Janith Liyanage, Kamindu Mendis, Dushmantha Chameera, Maheesh Theekshana, Asitha Fernando, Dilshan Madushanka

Zimbabwe, on the other hand, will face pressure to recover. Dilshan Madushanka‘s incredible last-over hat-trick turned the tide of the match, as the hosts were painfully defeated despite Sikandar Raza’s valiant 92 in the opening ODI. It is now a do-or-die situation for Zimbabwe, not just to tie the ODI series but also to maintain momentum going into the subsequent T20I leg. In the first game, their batting showed potential, but this time, it will be crucial to finish strongly.

On the other side, Sri Lanka will want to increase their confidence after winning the first game. Their batting looked strong with to contributions from Pathum Nissanka, Janith Liyanage, and Kamindu Mendis, and their bowlers performed well under duress when it counted most. The Islanders will be keen to keep up their winning streak with a 2-0 thumping in sight, while the hosts will do all in their power to avoid losing the series in front of their home crowd.

ZIM vs SL, 2nd ODI: Match Details

Date and Time: August 31; 1:00 pm IST/ 7:30 am GMT/ 9:30 am local
Venue: Harare Sports Club, Harare

ZIM vs SL: Head-to-Head Record in ODIs

Matches played: 65 | Zimbabwe won: 12 | Sri Lanka won: 50 | No result: 03

With its surface progressively changing nature throughout the course of a one-day match, the Harare Sports Club is well known for providing a fair duel between bat and ball. Every move in the game is important at this type of arena since the balance of play can change suddenly. A little amount of moisture remains on the wicket in the early going, which helps seamers move off the pitch and adds a little bit of unpredictable bounce, which frequently causes problems for the top order. Since rapid breakthroughs have a significant impact on the innings’ trajectory, opening bowlers typically set the pace in this situation. Batting gets easier when the first movement subsides. As the ball begins to land on the bat more frequently, stroke players have greater flexibility to determine whether to accelerate.

@charithrajapaksha