India finally ended their seven-match unbeaten run under the captaincy Shreyas Iyerbeat Zimbabwe by seven wickets in the first T20I in Harare on Thursday. The match also saw the young Vaibhav Sooryavanshi script by becoming the youngest player to score a T20I in half a century.After winning the toss, Iyer opted to bowl first, and India’s run justified the decision with a clinical performance.
Mayank Yadav shines on his comeback
Returning to international cricket for the first time since October 2024 after recovering from a heart break, Mayank Yadav made a quick move. The fast bowler chased down Brian Bennett with the first ball of the game before dismissing Dion Myers, clocking a speed of over 145 km/h.Zimbabwe were reduced to 26/3 during the Powerplay and slipped to 32/4 after Shivam Dube dismissed captain Sikandar Raza.A fighting partnership between Wessly Madhevere (39) and Ryan Burl (26), along with an unbeaten 27 in 20 from Tadiwanashe Marumani, helped the hosts return to 125/7 in their 20 overs. Opener Ashok Sharma recovered after a costly first innings, while Ravi Bishnoi fell economically to finish with 1/24.
Sooryavanshi is rewriting history
Chasing 126, India suffered an early setback when Abhishek Sharma was dismissed for 1. However, it turned out to be Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s day.The 15-year-old bowled a stunning attack, smashing 50 off just 19 balls with four fours and a six. In doing so, he became the youngest player to reach the age of T20I, allowing India to manage a run-out before collapsing soon after.Captain Shreyas Iyer capped off the innings with an unbeaten 28 off 24 balls, while Ishan Kishan chipped in with a quick 35 from 24. Tilak Varma hit the winning runs as India completed the chase with seven wickets in hand.In Zimbabwe, Blessing Muzarabani was the pick of the bowlers with two wickets, chasing Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan, while Richard Ngarava took the prized wicket of Sooryavanshi.The win marked Shreyas Iyer’s first win as India’s T20I captain, ending a seven-match unbeaten streak that also included tours of Ireland and England, while Sooryavanshi’s knock grabbed headlines in Harare.