India finally ended their seven-match winless run under the captaincy Shreyas Iyerdefeated Zimbabwe by seven wickets in the first T20I in Harare on Thursday. The match also witnessed teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi script history by becoming the youngest player to score a T20I half-century.After winning the toss, Iyer opted to bowl first, and India’s pace attack justified the decision with a clinical performance.
Mayank Yadav shines on comeback
Returning to international cricket for the first time since October 2024 after recovering from a stress fracture, Mayank Yadav made an immediate impact. The express pacer dismissed Brian Bennett with the first ball of the match before removing Dion Myers, consistent with speeds of more than 145 km/h.Zimbabwe were reduced to 26/3 in the powerplay and slipped further 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 off 20 from Tadiwanashe Marumani, helped the hosts recover to 125/7 in their allotted 20 overs. Debutant Ashok Sharma recovered well after a costly first over, while Ravi Bishnoi bowled economically to finish with 1/24.
Sooryavanshi rewrites history
Chasing 126, India suffered an early setback when Abhishek Sharma was dismissed for just 1. However, it was Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s day.The 15-year-old prodigy unleashed a breathtaking onslaught, smashing 50 off just 19 balls with four fours and four sixes. In the process, he became the youngest player ever to score a T20I half-century, putting India firmly in control of the chase before falling immediately after hitting their stride.Captain Shreyas Iyer anchored the innings with an unbeaten 28 off 24 balls, while Ishan Kishan chipped in with a quick 35 off 24. Tilak Varma hit the winning runs as India completed the chase comfortably with seven wickets in hand.For Zimbabwe, Blessing Muzarabani was the pick of the bowlers with two wickets, dismissing Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan, while Richard Ngarava claimed the precious scalp of Sooryavanshi.The win marked Shreyas Iyer’s first T20I win as India’s captain, ending a frustrating seven-match winless streak that included tours of Ireland and England, while Sooryavanshi’s record stole the headlines in Harare.