After seven matches, Shreyas Iyer has finally tasted victory as captain, and that too in commanding fashion. Iyer expressed delight after India cruised to a seven-wicket win over Zimbabwe in the opening game of the three-match T20I series in Harare on Thursday. The newly appointed skipper had endured a challenging start to his leadership stint, with India losing the series 2-0 to Ireland and suffering a 4-0 defeat to England, with one match abandoned due to rain.
Chasing 126, India rode on a sensational 18-ball maiden half-century from 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to complete the chase in just 13.2 overs. Sooryavanshi scored 50 off 18 balls before being dismissed, while captain Shreyas Iyer (28*) and Tilak Varma guided India to victory.
Earlier, India’s bowlers restricted Zimbabwe to 125/7 after captain Shreyas Iyer opted to bowl first. Pacer Mayank Yadav starred with figures of 2/18, supported by Prince Yadav’s 2/19, as India’s disciplined bowling attack kept Zimbabwe’s batters under pressure.
Iyer is the first captain in the world to win the toss in each of his first eight matches as captain in men’s T20Is. He broke the record of the Bahamas’ Gregory Taylor (7). Among Indian captains, MS Dhoni previously held the record for the most consecutive toss wins in T20Is. Dhoni won seven tosses in a row as India’s T20I captain between May 2010 and February 2012.
After the win, Iyer praised the team’s execution, calling it a special moment to register his first victory as captain. He lauded Mayank Yadav’s bowling and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s fearless batting approach, highlighting the youngster’s confidence and ability to provide a strong start.
“Exceptional. They were tremendous in their execution. Can’t be happier to get my first win. I was anticipating the bounce, and there was a decent amount of it. Exceptional start given by Mayank. Didn’t give them room. Vaibhav came out and gave us an exceptional start with the bat. They analysed the pitch and started building partnerships, and that’s when I wanted to rotate my bowlers as well. He is fearless; the way he approaches the innings is amazing. He possesses immense confidence when he steps onto the field,” Iyer said.
Mayank Yadav, who registered figures of 2/18 in four overs and claimed the key wickets of Zimbabwe batters Brian Bennett and Dion Myerswon the Player of the Match award. He said it was a special feeling to contribute to India’s win and praised the pitch conditions, bounce, seam movement, and the team’s strong start with the ball.
“It always feels great when you contribute in a win. So it was a very special moment for me. The wicket was very good. After playing in India, I was enjoying bowling here. It’s my first time here in Zimbabwe. The bounce I got and the seam movement were a great help to me. We got a good start from the very first ball and the way they [Prince and Ashok] were squeezing from their end was really good,” he said.
Chasing 126, India made a strong start with Sooryavanshi smashing a sensational maiden international half-century. His aggressive knock of 50, along with contributions from Shreyas Iyer (28*) and Ishan Kishan (35), helped India complete the chase in just 13.2 overs.
Earlier, India’s bowlers put up a disciplined performance to restrict Zimbabwe to 125/7. Pacer Mayank Yadav starred with figures of 2/18, dismissing Brian Bennett and Dion Myers early, while Prince Yadav also claimed two wickets. Ravi Bishnoi and Shivam Dubey picked up one wicket each. Zimbabwe’s We have found the Marumani top-scored with an unbeaten 39, but India’s bowling attack kept the hosts from building momentum.
With IANS inputs
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