In a thrilling finish at the Harare Sports Club on Sunday, India achieved a commanding 42-run victory over Zimbabwe, sealing a 4-1 triumph in the five-match T20I series. The match was marked by impressive performances from Sanju Samson, who notched his second T20I half-century, and Mukesh Kumar, whose career-best bowling figures left the Zimbabweans struggling.
India set a challenging target after posting 167 for 6 in their 20 overs. Despite a strong start from Zimbabwe, their chase faltered as they were bowled out for 125, allowing India to wrap up the match and the series in style.
As the game commenced, India’s innings saw a whirlwind start thanks to Yashasvi Jaiswal, who smashed two sixes off the first two balls, one off a no-ball. However, Zimbabwe quickly retaliated. Sikandar Raza cleanly bowled Jaiswal in the opening over, and Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma soon followed him back to the pavilion, leaving India somewhat unsettled at 44 for 3 by the end of the Powerplay.
With India’s top order collapsing early, it was up to Sanju Samson and Riyan Parag to steady the ship. They adopted a cautious approach, ensuring they did not lose more wickets while also managing to keep the scoreboard ticking. Although the duo struggled to find boundaries, they sent the ball over the ropes frequently enough to build a vital 65-run partnership. Brandon Mavuta faced the brunt of this cautious aggression, conceding four sixes, two of which came from Samson in a single over.
When Samson eventually departed post his half-century, it was Shivam Dube’s turn to propel India towards a strong finish. Dube partnered with death-over specialist Rinku Singh to add crucial runs in the final overs. Dube hammered a low full toss by Richard Ngarava over long on, while Rinku sent Faraz Akram’s delivery straight for six, pushing India to a formidable total of 167 for 6 at the end of their 20 overs.
Zimbabwe’s reply began with a mixed performance. Despite losing opener Wessley Madhevere for a duck in the first over, Brian Bennett kept the momentum intact with a few crisp boundaries off Tushar Deshpande.
. However, he was soon taken out by Mukesh Kumar, who marked his second wicket in the Powerplay, leaving Zimbabwe at 47 for 2 at the end of their initial six overs. Tadiwanashe Marumani and Dion Myers then took the attack to Ravi Bishnoi, amassing 16 runs in the final over of the Powerplay to keep Zimbabwe in the hunt.
It was the middle overs where Zimbabwe’s chase stagnated. India’s spinners Ravi Bishnoi, Abhishek Sharma, and Washington Sundar along with Dube’s medium pace kept a tight leash on the scoring rate. The set batters, Marumani and Myers, lost their wickets during this period, halting any momentum. An important fielding effort from Shivam Dube saw Sikandar Raza dismissed via a direct hit. Jonathan Campbell was soon caught out in the deep, ensuring the fall of three wickets in a span of as many overs, putting Zimbabwe firmly on the backfoot.
As the match moved into the death overs, Faraz Akram attempted to launch a counter-attack against the Indian bowlers. He exhibited some fireworks by hitting a couple of sixes, but the rising required run-rate had already placed the target well beyond Zimbabwe’s reach. Mukesh Kumar returned in these crucial moments, adding two more wickets to his tally and wrapping up Zimbabwe’s innings at 125 in 18.3 overs, with nine balls unused.
India’s disciplined bowling and fielding during the middle overs, combined with the solid batting performances from Samson and contributions from others, ensured a comprehensive win. The match highlighted not only the depth in India’s batting lineup but also their bowling prowess, with Mukesh Kumar emerging as a standout performer with figures of 4 for 27.
Brief Scores: India 167/6 in 20 overs (Sanju Samson 58, Shivam Dube 26; Blessing Muzarabani 2-19) beat Zimbabwe 125 in 18.3 overs (Dion Myers 34, Faraz Akram 27; Mukesh Kumar 4-27, Shivam Dube 2-25) by 42 runs.
India’s dominant series win underscores their growing strength and adaptability in the T20 format as they look forward to more international challenges.