After breaking losing run, India aim to seal T20I series against Zimbabwe

Harare: Riding on the momentum of breaking their losing run under new captain Shreyas Iyer, India will look to seal the three-match T20I series when they meet Zimbabwe in the second game at the Harare Sports Club on Saturday.

After enduring gruelling series defeats to Ireland and England, India, the three-time T20 World Cup champions, finally produced a clinical all-round performance to get a seven-wicket win in the series opener.

The triumph was set up by teenaged batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who smashed a record-breaking 18-ball fifty to become the youngest player to score a half-century in international cricket, alongside a fiery spell of 2-18 from returning speedster Mayank Yadav.

Chasing a modest 126, India overhauled the target with 40 balls to spare, with Ishan Kishan and skipper Iyer being the other contributors in the run-chase. Opener Abhishek Sharma, who scored his maiden T20I century at this very venue two years ago, fell cheaply in the opener and will be eager to make amends in Saturday’s clash.

Beyond the batting blitz, the team management, led by interim head coach VVS Laxman, will be particularly pleased with the collective output of the young fast-bowling unit. Mayank, making his international return after a 21-month injury layoff, hit high speeds and extracted sharp bounce to rattle the Zimbabwe bowlers.

Medium-pacer Prince Yadav chipped in two scalps, while debutant Ashok Sharma showcased impressive raw pace in an encouraging debut. For Zimbabwe, the primary concern remains their top-order’s vulnerability against genuine pace. With no rest day scheduled ahead of Sunday’s final T20I, India will be keen to wrap up the series seamlessly on Saturday before turning their focus to securing a potential 3-0 sweep.

When: Saturday, July 25, 4:30 PM IST

Where: Harare Sports Club, Harare

Where to watch: The match will be shown live on Unite8 Sports channels and live-stream is on the FanCode app and website

Squads

Zimbabwe: Sikandar Raza (Captain), Brian Bennett, Ryan Burl, Tanaka Chivanga, Ben Curran, Brad Evans, Wessly Madhevere, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Wellington Masakadza, Blessing Muzarabani, Dion Myers, Richard Ngarava, Newman Nyamhuri, Innocent Kaia, and Tafadzwa Tsiga

India: Shreyas Iyer (captain), Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma (vice-captain), Ishan Kishan (wk), Shivam Dube, Suryansh Shedge, Rinku Singh, Harsh Dubey, Ravi Bishnoi, Prince Yadav, Yash Thakur, Ashok Sharma, Mayank Yadav, and Prabhsimran Singh (wk).

IANS