Zimbabwe, despite being inexperienced, managed to pull off a surprising victory against a strong Indian team in the first T20I match of the series in Harare. India, with a lineup of young talent, was expected to easily defeat Zimbabwe after restricting them to 115 for nine. However, Zimbabwe stunned India by reducing them to 28 for four in the Power Play and ultimately bowling them out for 102 in 19.5 overs. This was India’s first T20I defeat in 2024 and their first loss against Zimbabwe in eight years.
Pacer Tendai Chatara (3/16) and skipper Sikandar Raza (3/25) played crucial roles in Zimbabwe’s bowling performance. The second match of the series is scheduled for Sunday.
India’s struggle started early in the innings, with Abhishek Sharma getting out for a duck in the first over. Despite a valiant effort from captain Shubman Gill (31), India kept losing wickets at regular intervals. Avesh Khan (16) and Washington Sundar (27) tried to stabilize the innings but fell short as Zimbabwe secured a memorable victory.
On the bowling front, Ravi Bishnoi shined with figures of 4/13 while Washington contributed with 2/11, restricting Zimbabwe to a modest total. Zimbabwe had a decent start in their innings but collapsed under pressure, losing crucial wickets in the middle overs. Clive Madande’s late cameo helped them surpass the 100-run mark.
(This story has not been edited and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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