24 July,2026 05:19 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Steve Waugh (Pic: X/@ICC)
Team India secured a dominant victory by seven wickets in the first T20I match against Zimbabwe at the Harare Sports Club.
Earlier, the "Men in Blue" suffered back-to-back T20I series defeats against Ireland and England. Following Ireland's 2-0 series win against Team India, former Australian cricketer Steve Waugh feels that there is potential for European cricket.
Speaking on the sidelines of the European T20 Premier League (ETPL), he said, "Ireland whitewashing the T20 World Cup Champions, India, 2-0 is an amazing result for Irish cricket. It just shows how much potential there is for European cricket. That is why I am really excited about the ETPL, which is coming up in a month's time. I am a part of the Amsterdam Flames in this exciting venture. European cricket has got huge potential, as was seen in the last couple of weeks".
With an aim of chasing the target of 126 runs, the visitors scored 126 runs for the loss of three wickets in 13.2 overs.
Team India's opening batsman Abhishek Sharma returned to the pavilion after scoring one run in eight balls. Fellow opening batsman Vaibhav Sooryavanshi smashed his maiden half-century in the format. Facing just 19 deliveries, the left-handed batsman smashed 50 runs, including four boundaries and the same number of maximums.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Ishan Kishan played a knock of 35 runs in 24 balls, which included three boundaries and two maximums. Skipper Shreyas Iyer and Tilak Varma stayed unbeaten. Facing 24 balls, Iyer scored 28 runs, with the help of three boundaries, whereas Varma, in his five-ball knock, scored six runs, including a boundary.
Zimbabwe's Blessing Muzarabani registered figures of two wickets for 26 runs in four overs. Richard Ngarava also bagged one wicket. Brad Evans, Newman Nyamhuri, and captain Sikandar Raza went wicketless in the first T20I match against Team India.
Earlier, having been put to bat first, Brian Bennett was dismissed on a first-ball duck. Fellow opening batsman Ben Curran also departed on 10 runs in eight balls, including two boundaries. Dion Myers managed to score just six runs in 14 balls, including a boundary.
Captain Sikandar Raza registered four runs off seven balls, including a boundary.
Later, Ryan Burl played a crucial knock of 26 runs off 35 deliveries, which was laced with a boundary and a maximum. Facing 34 balls, Wesley Madhevere garnered 39 runs, with the help of three boundaries and a maximum. Brad Evans registered a one-ball duck. Wicketkeeper-batsman Tadiwanashe Marumani and Newman Nyamhuri scored unbeaten 27 and one run, respectively. Marumani faced 20 balls and smashed two boundaries and a maximum, whereas Nyamhuri played just one ball. With this, Zimbabwe posted a total of 125 runs for the loss of seven wickets in 20 overs against the "Men in Blue".
Team India's Mayank Yadav returned with the figures of two wickets for 18 runs in four overs. Prince Yadav also registered two wickets by conceding 19 runs in his spell of four overs. Shivam Dube and Ravi Bishnoi bagged one wicket each. Debutant Ashok Sharma went wicketless in the first T20I match against Zimbabwe.
