Fifteen-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi played a pivotal role in India’s 35-run victory over Zimbabwe in the third and final Twenty20 International (T20I) at the Harare Sports Club on Sunday, sealing a clean 3-0 series sweep. The young opener’s unbeaten 81 runs off 49 balls laid the foundation for India’s total of 192 for 5, while the bowling unit then restricted Zimbabwe to 157 for 7.
After winning the toss, India began their innings aggressively with Sooryavanshi and Abhishek Sharma scoring 17 runs off the opening over bowled by Zimbabwe’s captain Sikandar Raza. Despite Sharma’s early dismissal in the second over, Sooryavanshi maintained the momentum with Ishan Kishan, who added 29 runs himself. The pair propelled India to 64 for 1 at the end of the powerplay and 89 for 1 after nine overs. Sooryavanshi reached his second T20I half-century in just 31 balls during the tenth over, showcasing his growing potential as an emerging batting talent. His innings ended when he was caught by Brad Evans off the bowling of Wessly Madhevere.
Zimbabwe’s response was hampered from the outset as opener Brian Bennett was dismissed on the first ball. Yash Thakur then struck twice in the fourth over, removing Dion Myers and captain Sikandar Raza early, leaving Zimbabwe reeling at 31 for 3. Although Ben Curran and Ryan Burl attempted to stabilize the innings with a 31-run partnership, Curran’s dismissal by Ravi Bishnoi at 62 for 4 stalled Zimbabwe’s progress. Burl, unbeaten on 54 runs from 43 balls with five boundaries, supported Wessly Madhevere in a 60-run fifth-wicket stand before Mayank Yadav broke the partnership. Despite Burl’s resistance, Zimbabwe fell short of the target, finishing at 157 for 7.
The series clean sweep represents a significant turnaround for India, who had suffered six consecutive losses during their recent tours of Ireland and England. The win also marks the first T20I series victory for India’s captain Shreyas Iyer since taking charge last month.
Key individual performances included Sooryavanshi’s 81 and Kishan’s 29 with the bat, alongside Mayank Yadav’s three wickets for 29 runs and Yash Thakur’s two for 45 in the bowling department. Zimbabwe’s best contributions came from Burl and Madhevere, who scored 54 not out and 28 runs, respectively.
India’s performance throughout the series demonstrated a strong batting lineup supported by effective bowling, which ultimately proved decisive in maintaining their unbeaten record against Zimbabwe.