India reclaim top T20I ranking after series success against Zimbabwe
India secures top T20I ranking
India has regained the top position in the ICC Men’s T20I Team rankings following their series against Zimbabwe in Harare. This achievement comes after India secured an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series. The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup champions had previously lost the top spot to England after England’s 4-0 T20I series victory at home.
The Indian team demonstrated strong performances in the initial matches of the series. In the first T20I, the bowlers played a significant role, complemented by a record-setting innings from Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. The second T20I saw the Indian batters taking charge, contributing to a dominant victory.
Batting performances in the series
In the second T20I, after losing two early wickets, Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer formed a 66-run partnership. Following this, Tilak Varma contributed a notable knock, scoring 60 runs off 29 balls. Ishan Kishan was the highest scorer in the game, making 81 runs off 44 balls. Speaking after the match, Kishan highlighted the importance of playing naturally and understanding the wicket, especially when batting at number three.
Kishan mentioned that the team considered various target scores, ranging from 170-180 to 230 or even 250, depending on the wicket conditions. He added that his partnership with Shreyas Iyer was focused on building the innings and taking it deep, a plan which they executed effectively. In pursuit of a target of 220, Zimbabwe lost five wickets within the first nine overs and were eventually bowled out for 129, allowing India to secure an unassailable lead in the series.
The two teams were scheduled to play again on July 26, Sunday.
Sooryavanshi’s record-breaking feat
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi continued to make history, becoming the first player in men’s international cricket to achieve multiple scores of 50 or more before turning 16. The 15-year-old left-handed opener accomplished this milestone during the third and final T20I against Zimbabwe in Harare on Sunday. He scored 81 runs off 48 balls, helping India reach a total of 192/5 after they chose to bat first.
Previously, only Nepal’s Kushal Malla had recorded a 50-plus score in men’s internationals before turning 16. Sooryavanshi’s two such scores now surpass this record. His innings in the third T20I showcased a different aspect of his batting on a pitch that offered assistance to bowlers. He started cautiously, scoring 11 runs from his first 10 balls and 26 from his first 20 deliveries, before reaching his second T20I fifty in 31 balls.
Despite the cautious start, Sooryavanshi displayed his characteristic strokeplay. He drove Brad Evans for a four off a yorker and later hit a 102-metre six off off-spinner Sikandar Raza. He also executed a reverse-sweep against Wesley Madhevere for a boundary.
While Sooryavanshi settled into his innings, his opening partner, Abhishek Sharma, continued a period of low scores. Abhishek was dismissed for two runs, edging Blessing Muzarabani to wicketkeeper Tadi Marumani. His recent six innings have yielded scores of 10, 16, 3, 1, 8, and 2, dating back to the third T20I against England in Nottingham last month.
Sooryavanshi then formed a 75-run partnership for the second wicket with Ishan Kishan, who scored 29. He followed this with a 50-run partnership with captain Shreyas Iyer, who contributed 27 runs. Sooryavanshi was on track for a century before Wesley Madhevere dismissed him, with Brad Evans completing the catch at long-off to end his innings at 81 runs.
After the departures of Sooryavanshi and Shreyas, India’s scoring rate slowed. The middle order added only 47 runs in the final five overs, with Rinku Singh’s 25 runs off 14 balls helping India approach the 200-run mark. India concluded their innings on 192/5, a total considered competitive on a bowling-friendly surface.
The team’s performance against Zimbabwe has led to their return to the top of the ICC Men’s T20I Team rankings.
Source: icc-cricket.com
