Harare: India thrashed Zimbabwe by seven wickets in the first T20 International here on Thursday to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Opting to bowl first, India restricted Zimbabwe to 125 for seven. India’s 15-year-old batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi then became the youngest player in the world to score a fifty in men’s international cricket, reaching the mark in just 18 balls as the visitors chaed down the target of 126 with 40 balls to spare.
Sooryavanshi’s knock featured 4 fours and 4 sixes at the Harare Sports Club.
Earlier, India named concussion substitutes for specific roles ahead of the match for the first time, with Suryansh Shedge (batter/all-rounder), Prabhsimran Singh (wicketkeeper), Harsh Dubey (spinner) and Yash Thakur (pace bowler) included in the list.
Mayank Yadav (2/18) and Prince Yadav (2/19) were the most successful bowlers for India.
Brief Scores:
Zimbabwe 125 for 7 in 20 overs (Ryan Burl 26, Wessly Madhevere 39, Tadiwanashe Marumani 27 not out; Mayank Yadav 2/18, Prince Yadav 2/19).
India: 126/3 in 13.2 overs (Vaibhav Sooryavanshi 50).