Harare, July 26, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Teenage opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi produced a composed yet explosive innings of 81 off 49 balls to guide India to a challenging total of 192/5 against Zimbabwe in the third and final T20 International at the Harare Sports Club on Sunday.
After being asked to bat first, India built their innings around Sooryavanshi, who combined controlled strokeplay with timely aggression. The right-hander struck eight fours and four sixes, scoring at a strike rate of 165.31, as India finished just short of the 200-run mark while strengthening their bid for a 3-0 series sweep.
India lost Abhishek Sharma early when Blessing Muzarabani dismissed the opener for just two, continuing his successful run against him in the series. However, Sooryavanshi counterattacked confidently, finding boundaries regularly and ensuring the innings never lost momentum.
He first stitched together a 75-run partnership with Ishan Kishan, who contributed 29 before being bowled by Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza. Sooryavanshi then added another valuable 50-run stand with skipper Shreyas Iyer, who chipped in with 27.
The young opener reached his half-century in 31 deliveries before accelerating further, clearing the ropes with ease, including a towering 102-metre six. His impressive knock eventually ended at 81 when Brad Evans completed a fine low diving catch at long-off.
In the closing overs, Tilak Varma and Rinku Singh kept the scoreboard moving, with Rinku smashing a quickfire 25 from just 14 deliveries to help India collect 40 runs in the final four overs and push the total to 192.
For Zimbabwe, Brad Evans was the most successful bowler with figures of 2/41, while Muzarabani and Raza claimed one wicket each. Zimbabwe’s bowlers, however, struggled with discipline, conceding 17 extras, including 15 wides.
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