Zimbabwe to Host South Africa and New Zealand for Tests and T20I Tri series in 2025
The multi-format contest on Zimbabwe soil welcomes South Africa and New Zealand for two tests and a Tri-nation T20I series. This is also the first time that the Proteas will appear in red-ball contests in Zimbabwe since 2014.
Zimbabwe’s intriguing international home season kicks off by locking horns against South Africa in a 2-match test series on 28th June 2025 (Saturday) at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo.
Once the test series is wrapped up, both teams will face off against New Zealand for the exciting T20I tri-series, starting on July 14 at the Harare Sports Club. Each team competes against one another twice for nearly two weeks, and the top two teams will qualify for the final on July 26 (Saturday) to lift the trophy.
However, Zimbabwe will host New Zealand in its concluding phase of the home season for the 2-match test series that takes place between 30 July (Wednesday) and August 11 (Monday).
South Africa Tour of Zimbabwe 2025: 2 Tests (28th June to 10th July)
The upcoming red-ball series marks the first clash between South Africa and Zimbabwe in the longest format of the sport since the Boxing Day pink-ball Test in Gqeberha in 2017:
- 1st Test: June 28 (Saturday) to July 02 (Wednesday)
- 2nd Test: July 06 (Sunday) to July 10 (Thursday)
NOTE: Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo will host the two test matches of this series, which will be played at 10 am LOCAL (01:30 pm IST and 08 am GMT).
Zimbabwe Tri-Nation T20I series 2025:
The upcoming tri-nation T20I series will be the first one for Zimbabwe since they hosted Pakistan and Australia in 2018 and features 7 matches, including the finals on July 26:
- 14th July (Monday): Zimbabwe vs South Africa, 1st T20I match
- 16th July (Wednesday): South Africa vs New Zealand, 2nd T20I match
- 18th July (Friday): Zimbabwe vs New Zealand, 3rd T20I match
- 20th July (Sunday): Zimbabwe vs South Africa, 4th T20I match
- 22nd July (Tuesday): New Zealand vs South Africa, 5th T20I match
- 24th July (Thursday): Zimbabwe vs New Zealand, 6th T20I match
- July 26 (Saturday): Finals (1st) vs (2nd), 7th T20I match
NOTE: Harare Sports Club will host the entire tri-nation series in the 20-over format, which will be played at 01 pm LOCAL (04:30 pm IST and 11 am GMT).
New Zealand Tour of Zimbabwe 2025: 2 Tests (July 30 to August 11)
After the completion of the T20I tri series, New Zealand will remain in Zimbabwe to compete in the two-match test series, and this is the first time these two teams will clash in the red-ball format since 2016:
- 1st Test: July 30 (Wednesday) to August 03 (Sunday)
- 2nd Test: August 07 (Thursday) to August 11 (Monday)
NOTE: Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo will stage New Zealand for the two tests, which will be played at 10 am LOCAL (01:30 pm IST and 08 am GMT).
Zimbabwe Cricket Managing Director’s Opinion
Givemore Makoni— the managing director of Zimbabwe Cricket deemed the forthcoming opportunity as the biggest international home season for the country, as it is a chance to host the two competitive teams:
“Yes! This is one of the biggest home seasons in international cricket we have ever had in the past few years. It is a valuable opportunity for our cricketers to test their skills against the world’s dominant teams.
Especially, hosting South Africa and New Zealand for the test and T20I tri-series promises to contribute to excellence in the sport in Zimbabwe.
We are eagerly waiting to welcome these two teams and put up a spectacular show for all our fans,” Manoki said.
Final Thoughts
The upcoming series is one of the rarest and most valuable opportunities for Zimbabwe to be a competitor against top-tier nations in a multi-format contest. This not only assists in developing the sport in their nation, but also enhances the preparation for upcoming international events.
In conclusion, the cricketing world will be eager to watch Zimbabwe come up against the two competitive rivals, which promises to be an intriguing season.
