Vaibhav Sooryavanshi powers India to T20I series sweep
Teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi delivered another impressive performance as India defeated Zimbabwe by 35 runs in the third T20I at Harare Sports Club on Sunday.
The victory helped India complete a 3-0 series sweep and bounce back strongly after disappointing T20I series defeats against Ireland and England.
India were invited to bat first and posted 192-5 in their 20 overs. Sooryavanshi led the charge with a blistering 81 off 49 balls, smashing eight fours and four sixes.
The 15-year-old immediately showed his attacking intent, hitting Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza for a boundary from the opening delivery. He reached his half-century from 31 balls before being dismissed in the 14th over.
Sooryavanshi has enjoyed a remarkable series in Zimbabwe. He began with a stunning half-century from just 18 balls in the opening match and followed it with a quick 20 off nine deliveries in the second game.
His latest innings further underlined his growing reputation as one of India’s most exciting young batting talents.
Ishan Kishan also contributed with a brisk 29, hitting four boundaries before being dismissed by Raza.
Zimbabwe struggled during the chase and slipped to 65-4, with opener Brian Bennett and captain Raza both departing without scoring.
Ryan Burl provided some resistance with an unbeaten 54, while Wessly Madhevere added 28. The pair shared a 60-run partnership for the fifth wicket, but Zimbabwe could not maintain the required scoring rate.
The hosts eventually finished at 157-7, falling 35 runs short of India’s target.
The result gave India a much-needed boost after their recent struggles overseas. Zimbabwe, meanwhile, suffered their second consecutive T20I series defeat after losing 2-1 to Bangladesh.