Showing the kind of murderous touch that has made him the most feared batsman in the IPL, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi blazed to his maiden international half-century as India thrashed Zimbabwe by seven wickets, with 40 balls to spare, in the opening T20I at the Harare Sports Club on Thursday.
Aged 15 years and 118 days, Sooryavanshi smashed 50 off only 18 balls in an innings studded with four sixes and four fours.
The teenage batting sensation had endured a difficult start to his international career during India’s T20I series against England in July, after scores of 14 (10), 13 (5) and 15 (10) in his first three innings.
Returning to the scene of his 80-ball 175 against England in the 2026 U-19 World Cup final, the precociously talented opener produced a dazzling display to make light work of a modest 126-run chase, racing to an 18-ball fifty.
Sooryavanshi smashed 19 runs off Richard Ngarava in the second over, clobbering the left-arm pacer for two sixes.
Zimbabwe hit back in the third over as Blessing Muzarabani (2-26) had Abhishek Sharma, who scratched around for one off eight balls, caught at deep backward point off a slash. But Sooryavanshi continued to attack, launching two more sixes straight down the ground besides several fiercely struck boundaries.
He eventually fell to Ngarava in the seventh over, chasing a wide delivery outside off and top-edging to Ben Curran at deep third. By then, however, India had raced to 68 and the youngster had virtually settled the contest.
The visitors completed the chase in just 13.2 overs. The win also ended new T20 captain Shreyas Iyer’s winless run, as he registered his maiden victory in his eighth match in charge. Shreyas had lost six of his first seven games as captain during the tours of Ireland and England.
It was also India’s first win to kick off the three-match series since lifting the 2026 T20 World Cup in March.
Earlier, India’s new-look pace attack starred after the visitors elected to field, with Mayank Yadav (2-18) and Prince Yadav (2-19) sharing four wickets for just 37 runs in eight overs to restrict Zimbabwe to 125 for seven.
Vindicating the selectors’ decision to back him despite an ordinary IPL 2026, Mayank made an immediate impact by dismissing opener Brian Bennett, who had scored 97 against India in the 2026 T20 World Cup in Chennai, with the very first ball of the match.
His 150 kmph thunderbolt brushed Bennett’s bat before carrying through to wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan, whose review overturned the umpire’s decision. Mayank struck again in the fifth over, removing No. 3 batter Dion Myers for six, caught at mid-on.
Prince accounted for the other opener, debutant Ben Curran, as Zimbabwe slumped to 20 for three. The hosts slipped further to 32 for four in the eighth over when captain Sikandar Raza (4) pulled Shivam Dube straight to substitute fielder Suryansh Shedge at deep midwicket.
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Brief scores: India 126 for 3 (Sooryavanshi 50, Kishan 35, Muzarabani 2-26) beat Zimbabwe 125 for 7 (Madhevere 39, Mayank 2-18, Prince 2-19) by seven wickets.