Vaibhav Sooryavanshi stars as India complete 3-0 sweep of Zimbabwe

Harare: Teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi capped a memorable tour with a match-winning 81 as India completed a comprehensive 3-0 sweep of the T20 International series against Zimbabwe with a 35-run victory in the third and final match.

The 15-year-old opener struck a fluent 81 off 49 balls, smashing eight fours and four sixes, to guide India to 192/5 after being asked to bat. Zimbabwe fought hard through an unbeaten 54 off 43 deliveries from Ryan Burl but were restricted to 157/7, handing India another convincing victory.

India's pace attack once again delivered the goods. Mayank Yadav led the way with figures of 3/29 from his four overs, while Yash Thakur claimed 2/45 as Zimbabwe never seriously threatened the target.

Sooryavanshi was named both Player of the Match and Player of the Series after finishing as the standout performer in only his third international tour following the twin tours of England and Ireland. Having endured a disappointing England series and missing out on a game during the Ireland tour, the youngster bounced back in style, making a strong statement ahead of future assignments.

India had begun the series with a comfortable seven-wicket victory after bowling Zimbabwe out for 125. While Sooryavanshi stole the headlines with a breathtaking 19-ball half-century, blasting four fours and four sixes in his 50, it was the bowlers who laid the platform for the win.

Mayank Yadav (2/18) and Prince Yadav (2/19) produced disciplined spells to keep the hosts under pressure throughout the innings. Mayank's impressive performance earned him the Player of the Match award as India chased down the target with ease.

The visitors sealed the series in the second T20I with an emphatic 90-run victory. Asked to bat first, India piled up an imposing 219/5, courtesy of Ishan Kishan's sparkling 81 off 44 balls, an innings featuring nine boundaries and two sixes.

Tilak Varma then provided the finishing flourish with an unbeaten 60 from just 29 deliveries, striking five fours and three sixes to take India well beyond the 200-run mark.

Zimbabwe never recovered in the chase and were bundled out for 129 in 17.5 overs. Part-time spinner Abhishek Sharma starred with figures of 3/17, while Prince Yadav continued his impressive series with 2/10. Yash Thakur chipped in with 2/30 as India's bowlers once again dominated proceedings.

The series marked a complete all-round performance from the visitors, with the batting unit consistently posting challenging totals and the pace attack, led by Mayank and Prince Yadav, providing early breakthroughs. For India, the biggest takeaway was the emergence of Sooryavanshi, whose fearless strokeplay and consistency after a difficult start to his international career suggest the teenager could become a key figure in the team's T20 plans in the years ahead.

Tags : Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Mayank Yadav, Indian cricket team, Zimbabwe, Harare, Tilak Varma