New Delhi: Indian captain Shreyas Iyer 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi after beating a 15-year-old boy after a big win India won by seven wickets against Zimbabwe in the opening T20I in Harare on Thursday.Sooryavanshi smashed 50 off just 19 balls, raising his maiden international tally to just 18 as India chased down 126 in just 13.2 overs. The left-hander’s burst also saw him become the youngest player in world cricket to hit a fifty, eclipsing the record held by Nepal’s Kushal Malla. Following the decisive victory, Iyer was full of admiration for the youngster’s fearless approach.“He is fearless, the way he approaches the innings is amazing. He has a lot of confidence when he steps on the field,” said Iyer after registering his first win as India’s T20I captain.
The perfect answer after a quiet trip to England
Sooryavanshi’s international career got off to a quiet start earlier this month during India’s tour of England, when scores of 14, 13 and 15 saw him dropped in the final T20I as India lost the series.However, a return to Harare Sports Club – where he smashed 175 off just 80 balls in the Under-19 World Cup final earlier this year – proved to be a good time for the youngster to make a name for himself.ALSO READ: ‘A’ festival Sooryavanshi steals hearts after world record 50 – WatchCarrying four rounds to settle down, Sooryavanshi unleashed an astonishing devastation. He hit four boundaries and a huge six, demolishing Zimbabwean bowling with a fearless display of strokeplay.His innings ended the tournament within the Powerplay in the past Richard Boat he eventually chased him one ball after reaching his 500.Ishan Kishan (35) and captain Iyer (28 not out) then completed the chase with ease.
Iyer celebrates first win as India captain
The win also marked an important milestone for Iyer, who has tasted success after enduring a tough time as India’s T20I captain.Having lost his previous seven games on the tour of Ireland and England, the 31-year-old celebrated his youthful success as captain.Iyer praised both his bowlers and fellow batsmen for achieving the team’s goals perfectly.“Great. They were great in their killing. I couldn’t be happier to get my first win,” he said.The captain also explained his decision to bowl after the win.“I was waiting for this jump and it was enough. A special start by Mayank. I didn’t give them space,” he said.Mayank Yadav did well to remove Brian Bennett with the first ball of the match before finishing with two wickets, while Prince Yadav also claimed two scalps as Zimbabwe were restricted to 125 for seven. India then made light work of the chase largely due to Sooryavanshi’s stunning batting.