Leading an inexperienced side against Zimbabwe is MS Dhoni's new challenge

He has mostly led a formidable bunch of limited-overs specialists but it will be a different sort of challenge for Mahendra Singh Dhoni when he captains a new-look Indian team against Zimbabwe in the first ODI of a short series starting in Harare on Saturday.

Over the years, the series in Zimbabwe has always featured limited-overs matches played post-IPL where the BCCI sends its second-string outfits to test the bench strength. The second string outfits have, in fact, effected backto-back whitewashes 5-0 and 3-0 in 2013 and 2015 respectively.

It was supposed to be no different this time around as well. The ODI squad of 15 comprises as many as five uncapped players (including KL Rahul) but it has gained special significance because of Dhoni, who will be playing in the African nation after 11 long years.

The last time when Dhoni played in Zimbabwe back in 2005, his international career was barely six months old and a certain Sourav Ganguly was still in charge of the 'Men In Blue'.But now the situation is different post his retirement from Test cricket and Virat Kohli's Bradmanesque form in the past six months leading to calls of his removal from captaincy.

While he may not be battling to save his captaincy yet but tours like the one about to start in Zimbabwe are the proverbial 'banana peel' for any top cricketer.