New Delhi: India completed a dominant 3-0 T20I series sweep over Zimbabwe with a convincing 35 run victory in the third and final match in Harare, thanks to a mature innings from teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and a clinical bowling performance led by Mayank Yadav.
Batting first after winning the toss, India posted a competitive 192 for 5 on a sluggish surface. The innings was anchored by 15 year old Sooryavanshi, who produced a composed 81 off 49 balls. Unlike his typically aggressive style, the youngster paced his innings with patience before accelerating, bringing up his second T20I half century in just 31 deliveries.
His knock featured several eye catching strokes, including a straight drive off a yorker and a towering 102 metre six, while also showcasing maturity in rotating the strike and building partnerships. He added 75 runs with Ishan Kishan, who scored 29, before sharing a 50 run stand with captain Shreyas Iyer, who contributed 27. Although Sooryavanshi fell just short of a maiden international century, his innings laid the foundation for India’s imposing total. Rinku Singh’s quickfire 25 off 14 balls provided the finishing touch.
India suffered an early setback with Abhishek Sharma dismissed for just two, extending his disappointing run of low scores in T20 internationals.
Zimbabwe’s chase never gathered momentum after Mayank Yadav struck with the very first ball of the innings by dismissing Brian Bennett. He finished with impressive figures of 3 for 29, while Yash Thakur claimed two crucial wickets, including captain Sikandar Raza, as Zimbabwe slipped to 34 for 3 inside the powerplay.
Ryan Burl fought a lone battle with an unbeaten 54 and shared a 60 run partnership with Wesley Madhevere, but the early damage proved too much to overcome as Zimbabwe finished on 157 for 7.
Sooryavanshi ended the series as its standout performer, scoring 151 runs in three innings at a remarkable strike rate of 196.10, including two half centuries. His performances earned him both the Player of the Match and Player of the Series awards.
Reflecting on his breakthrough series, the young batter described the achievement as a dream come true and credited the support of the team’s coaches and captain. He said his focus was on playing his natural attacking game while converting good starts into substantial innings.
Head coach V V S Laxman praised the teenager’s temperament after he narrowly missed out on a century, saying Sooryavanshi has the mindset, attitude and ability to enjoy a long international career. He expressed confidence that the youngster would continue to improve and has the potential to achieve remarkable success for India in the years ahead.
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