Team India was all over Zimbabwe in the second T20 of the five-match T20 series. The Men in Blue defeated Zimbabwe by 100 runs yesterday. Team India is touring Zimbabwe for five T20 matches from July 6 to July 14. One T20 has already been concluded in which India lost.
The first T20 match between India and Zimbabwe ended in the victory of Zimbabwe. The T20 World Champion lost the game by 13 runs while chasing a target of 115. The Indian bowlers performed well, while the batters underperformed while chasing 115 in 20 overs.
In a way, this is India’s B-team on the tour of Zimbabwe. All the main players of the T20 World Cup 2024 have already returned to India after winning the tournament. With this win, Team India has leveled the five-match T20 series 1-1.
Team India Outperform Zimbabwe
In the second t20, India showed how T20 Champions play. This is India’s first T20 series after winning the T20 World Cup title in July. While batting first, India made a strong total of 234-2 in 20 overs. Opener Abhishek Sharma who went for 0 in the first T20, scored a hundred in the Second game. Abhishekh made 100 runs off just 47 deliveries.
After winning the toss and deciding to bat first, the Team India batters smashed Zimbabwe. Thanks to the maiden hundred by Abhishek Sharma, the team posted a strong total. Abhishek’s inning included 7 fours and 8 sixes. Ruturaj Gaikwad also impressed with his 77 runs including 11 fours and a six. Rinku Singh smashed 48 in just 22 balls with 2 fours and 5 sixes. As a result of these three batters, the team posted 243-2.
While chasing a huge total, Zimbabwe performed poorly. Wesley Madhere was the top scorer with 43 runs. Besides Wesley, Brain Bennet (26), Johnathan Campbell (10), and Luke Jongwe (33) made double-digit scores. As a result, the whole team collapsed on the score of 134 in 18,4 overs. For India, Avesh Khan was the top bowler with figures of 3-0-15-3. Mukesh Kumar impressed with the figures of 3.4-0-37-3.
Young Indian Players Shine Bright
Debutant Abhishekh came back stronger in the second game after going on a duck for 0 in the first game. He scored his first century for India, yesterday. He scored the hundred in style by hitting a six. He became the first player to take the quickest innings (2) to score a T20 hundred for India in T20s.
Ruturaj Gaikwad made a crucial 77 not out off 47 balls. His inning included eleven fours and a six. Ruturaj started slow, but he scored runs quickly in the last overs. His ability to accelerate is his main strength in T20s.
Rinku Singh quickfire Zimbabwe with 48 not out off 22 balls. He played with a strike rate of 218. His innings included 2 fours and five sixes. In T20s, Rinku Singh has so far scored 404 runs with a strike rate of 178 in 226 balls averaging 80.80 including 33 fours and 25 sixes.
With Rohit and Kohli saying goodbye to the shortest format of cricket, a new era of T20 for India has begun. But Team India has its future in good hands as youngsters are stepping up to perform for their country. With Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli retiring from T20s, youngsters must step up and make their country proud. Filling the shoes of Rohit and Kohli in T20s will be a huge task, but someone needs to do it.