Innocent Kaia

Innocent Kaia is a right-handed opening batter who provides Zimbabwe with an experienced option at the top of the order for their three-match ODI series against Australia. He made his ODI debut in 2022 and has already shown his ability to produce significant scores in the format, including a match-winning century against Bangladesh. More recently, Kaia returned to Zimbabwe’s ODI setup after making a strong impression for Zimbabwe A and scoring a maiden Test century against Bangladesh. His recall to the squad reflects the value Zimbabwe place on his ability to give the innings a solid start.

Kaia is at his most effective when he can spend time at the crease and build an innings around a combination of controlled strokeplay and calculated aggression. As an opener, he will have the responsibility of negotiating Australia’s new-ball attack while trying to lay the foundation for Zimbabwe’s middle order. His recent run of performances should give him confidence heading into a demanding series at Harare Sports Club. For fantasy cricket, Kaia can be an attractive batting pick because an established opening position gives him the opportunity to face a substantial number of deliveries and accumulate runs. If he gets through the early overs, he has the technique and experience to turn a start into a useful score.