- By Sunny Daud
- Sun, 26 Jul 2026 08:26 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Teenage batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi produced a mature and well-paced knock of 81 as India defeated Zimbabwe by 35 runs in the third and final T20I in Harare on Sunday to complete a 3-0 series sweep.
Asked to bat first, India posted 192 for five on a pitch that offered some help to the bowlers. Zimbabwe fought hard but could only reach 157 for seven in their 20 overs.
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At just 15 years of age, Sooryavanshi once again showed why he is regarded as one of India's brightest young talents. Unlike his usual attacking starts, he took time to settle on a slightly slow surface before accelerating. He reached his second T20I half-century in 31 balls and eventually scored 81 off 49 deliveries, hitting eight fours and four sixes.
His innings combined patience with power. He drove Brad Evans straight down the ground for four despite a well-directed yorker and later smashed Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza for a massive 102-metre six. He also added a touch of innovation with a reverse sweep for another boundary, proving he can adapt his game to different situations.
India suffered an early setback when Abhishek Sharma's poor run continued. The opener edged Blessing Muzarabani behind after scoring just two, extending a disappointing sequence of low scores.
Sooryavanshi then steadied the innings with Ishan Kishan, who made 29. The pair added 75 runs for the second wicket before the youngster shared another important 50-run partnership with captain Shreyas Iyer, who contributed 27.
Sooryavanshi looked set for a century before falling for 81 after Brad Evans took an excellent catch at long-off off the bowling of Wessly Madhevere.
India lost momentum after the departures of Sooryavanshi and Iyer. The middle order found it difficult to score freely, managing only 47 runs in the final five overs. Rinku Singh provided a late boost with an unbeaten 25 from just 14 balls, helping India finish close to the 200-run mark.
Zimbabwe never really kept up with the required run rate during the chase. Ryan Burl remained unbeaten on 54, while Wessly Madhevere (28), Ben Curran (20) and Dion Myers (19) got starts but failed to play the big innings their team needed.
India's fast bowlers stayed in control throughout the innings. Mayank Yadav led the attack with three wickets, conceding 29 runs, while Yash Thakur picked up two wickets. Their disciplined bowling ensured Zimbabwe remained well behind the target despite Burl's fighting knock.
Brad Evans claimed two wickets for Zimbabwe, while Blessing Muzarabani, Sikandar Raza and Wessly Madhevere took one wicket each.