HARARE, Zimbabwe — In an exciting match on Thursday, 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi made his mark by scoring his first international half-century for India. This strong performance helped India secure a comfortable seven-wicket victory over Zimbabwe in a Twenty20 match.
Sooryavanshi showcased his talent by hitting 50 runs off just 18 balls before getting out on the very next ball after a top-edged attempt at a cut shot. His impressive innings played a crucial role in chasing down the target of 126 runs. By the time Shreyas Iyer celebrated his first win as captain, India had reached 126 runs for the loss of three wickets.
Zimbabwe managed to score 125 runs for seven wickets, with notable contributions from bowlers Mayank Yadav and Prince Yadav, who each took two wickets.
Earlier this month, Sooryavanshi made headlines by becoming the youngest player to represent India, surpassing the legendary Sachin Tendulkar. Though his previous outings in a T20 series in England were modest—scoring 14, 13, and 15 runs at a strike rate of 168—selectors were hopeful he would shine in this series, especially given his astonishing 175 off 80 balls in the Under-19 World Cup final against England back in February.
During Thursday’s match, Sooryavanshi wasted no time by hitting his first six after just four balls. He went on to clear the boundary several times, hitting sixes over backward square, long-off, fine leg, and long-on.
The excitement continues as the second match of the series is set for Saturday.
