NEW DELHI: Indian speedster Mayank Yadav on Thursday added another milestone to his growing reputation by knocking out Zimbabwe’s opener Brian Bennett with the first ball of the opening T20I in Harare to join an elite list of Indian bowlers.The express pacer became only the third Indian bowler to claim a wicket with the first ball of a T20I match, emulating Arshdeep Singh and Hardik Pandya. Arshdeep achieved the feat against USA’s Shayan Jahangir during the T20 World Cup 2024 in Nassau, while Hardik removed Pakistan opener Saim Ayub with the opening delivery in the Asia Cup 2025 in Dubai.It was also the second time Mayank bowled the opening ball of a T20I innings, having earlier dismissed Bangladesh opener Parvez Hossain Emon in Hyderabad during India’s home series in October 2024.
The review confirms the dream principle for India
Mayank wasted no time in making an impact after Indian captain Shreyas Iyer won the toss and opted to bowl first.Charging at 149 km/h, the right-armer quickly bowled a ball on the back of a length just outside the off stump which is seamed late. Brian Bennett, rooted to the crease, could only manage a faint margin through wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan.Although the on-field umpire rejected India’s appeal, Kishan was convinced he had heard something and immediately urged Iyer to review the decision. UltraEdge confirmed a clear spike as the ball passed the bat, overturning the original verdict and sending Bennett back for a golden duck after facing just one delivery.Wicket off the first ball of a T20I by an Indian bowler
- Shayan Jahangir (USA) – Arshdeep Singh, Nassau, T20 WC 2024
- Saim Ayub (PAK) – Hardik Pandya, Dubai, Asia Cup 2025
- Brian Bennett (ZIM) – Mayank Yadav, Harare, 2026
The wicket gave India the perfect start and highlighted Mayank’s ability to trouble the batsmen with his pace and movement right from the start.With the dismissal, Mayank also joined an exclusive group of Indian bowlers with multiple first-ball wickets in T20Is. Bhuvneshwar Kumar leads the list with three such dismissals, while Hardik Pandya, Arshdeep Singh and Mayank now have two each. Ravichandran Ashwin is the only other Indian to have achieved the feat once.Indian bowlers with wickets from the first ball of a T20I innings
- Bhuvneshwar Kumar (three times)
- Hardik Pandya (twice)
- Arshdeep Singh (twice)
- Mayank Yadav (twice)
- Ravichandran Ashwin (Eleven)
Earlier, India named teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in the playing XI, while Rajasthan pacer Ashok Sharma made his international debut. In another first, India also announced concussion replacements designated for specific roles ahead of the match, with Suryansh Shedge, Prabhsimran Singh, Harsh Dubey and Yash Thakur covering batting, wicketkeeping, spin and pace respectively.Zimbabwe were forced into a pre-match change after Milton Shumba was ruled out of the series with a right hamstring injury, with Innocent Kaia as his replacement.Mayank, however, ensured that Zimbabwe’s innings started in the worst possible way, delivering a dream start for India with a record first-ball breakthrough.