India had everything going according to plan as they bagged the T20I series 3-0 versus Zimbabwe, winning the third match by 35 runs at the Harare Sports Club. Player of the Match and the Series, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi set the tone early on with his quick fire 81, followed by Mayank Yadav and Yash Thakur adding the finishing touches to the game.   

India off to a flying start, Sooryavanshi’s blazing half ton

India started off with a bang, garnering 64/1 in their powerplay. The young gun showed tremendous intent and a confident approach while batting in the middle. Watching the little genius at work brought fans on the edge of their seats each time he went for a monster shot. Manufacturing boundaries for fun, he put the Zimbabwe bowlers under tremendous pressure. He notched up 81 in just 49 balls, with eight fours and four maximums…before a blinder was taken by Brad Evans running in from the deep to dismiss Vaibhav. En route he also stitched a 75-run partnership with Ishan Kishan.

Rinku-Tilak’s cameo knocks help India flourish at the end

Power packed cameo performances from Rinku Singh 25(14) and Tilak Varma 11*(9) helped the visitors reach 192/5 in 20 overs. They took their chances, disrupting the plans of the opposition and ensured the Men in Blue put up a competitive total on the board. 

Mayank, Yash put Zimbabwe batters on the backfoot

The Mayank Yadav magic continued as he yet again grabbed his first scalp during the first delivery of Zimbabwe’s innings, Brian Benett fell for a golden duck. Further, Yash Thakur picked the key wicket of Dion Myers who looked in good touch. During the very next delivery, a magnificent caught and bowled effort from Yash sent skipper Sikander Raza back to the pavilion without scoring a run. At this stage, Zimbabwe found themselves at 34/3 in 3.5 overs.

With a steep mountain to climb, the hosts did try their best as Ryan Burl got to his well-deserved half ton, remaining unbeaten till the end on 54. He stuck in there when wickets kept falling at the other end.  India eventually won by 35 runs, as Zimbabwe finished with 157/7 in 20 overs.  

Brief Scores

India: 192/5 in 20 overs (Vaibhav Sooryavanshi 81; Brad Evans 2/41) beat Zimbabwe: 157/7 in 20 overs (Ryan Burl 54*; Mayank Yadav 3/29, Yash Thakur 2/45) by 35 runs.