India's newly appointed T20I captain Shreyas Iyer finally tasted victory as skipper after guiding the Men in Blue to a commanding seven-wicket win over Zimbabwe in the opening T20I of the three-match series. It was Iyer's first victory as India's T20I captain, coming in his eighth match after six defeats and one no result during the UK tour against Ireland and England.
Chasing a modest target of 126, India completed the chase in just 13.2 overs, handing Zimbabwe a comprehensive defeat to take a 1-0 lead in the series.
Sikandar Raza points to moisture after defeat
Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza admitted that his side failed to meet expectations with the bat and felt the conditions early in the innings played a significant role in the result.
The all-rounder said the moisture on the surface made batting difficult for Zimbabwe before conditions improved considerably during India's chase.
"Not upto the standard. The moisture played part initially and movement off the deck certainly made it tougher. I thought there was a lot of moisture in the Bangladesh series but it didn't stay that long today. When India batted it was coming on nicely. Hopefully we get better wickets in the coming games."
India cruise after bowlers restrict Zimbabwe
After winning his eighth consecutive toss, Shreyas Iyer opted to field first, and the decision paid immediate dividends as India's pace attack kept Zimbabwe under pressure throughout the innings.
The hosts could only manage 125/9 in 20 overs, with Wessly Madhevere emerging as their highest scorer after making 39 off 34 deliveries.
Young pacer Mayank Yadav struck early and finished with two wickets, while Prince Yadav also claimed two scalps. Shivam Dube and Ravi Bishnoi chipped in with one wicket each as India produced a disciplined bowling performance.
India's chase was headlined by another explosive knock from teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who became the youngest batter to score a T20I half-century. The youngster smashed 50 off just 19 balls, including four boundaries and four sixes, giving India a flying start.
Ishan Kishan contributed 35 off 24 balls, while captain Shreyas Iyer remained unbeaten on 28 off 24 deliveries. Tilak Varma also stayed not out with 6 off 5 balls as India comfortably chased down the target with more than six overs to spare.