India captain Shubman Gill guided his team to a “crucial” 23-run victory in the third T20 international against Zimbabwe at Harare Sports Club on Wednesday, taking a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.
Gill’s dynamic 66 off 49 balls propelled India to 182 for four after opting to bat first. In response, Zimbabwe managed 159 for six in their allotted overs.
Reflecting on the win at the post-match presentation, Gill expressed satisfaction with India’s strong start with both bat and ball. He highlighted the team’s collective effort, emphasizing, “Everyone is contributing and that is a good sign.”
India got off to a blistering start, racing to 49 without loss in just four overs, thanks to a brisk 67-run opening partnership between Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal. Zimbabwe struggled early in their innings, reduced to 39 for five within the first seven overs, courtesy of Khaleel Ahmed and Avesh Khan’s three wickets during the power play, complemented by Washington Sundar’s impactful two-wicket over.
Sundar’s impressive bowling performance earned him the Man of the Match award with figures of three for 15 in his four overs.
India’s squad was strengthened with the inclusion of World Cup squad members Jaiswal, Sanju Samson, and Shivam Dube, who missed the first two matches due to World Cup celebrations in Mumbai. Jaiswal contributed 36 runs, while Samson remained unbeaten with 12 off seven balls towards the end. Dube did not bat but bowled two overs conceding 27 runs.
Despite a spirited effort from Dion Myers, who remained unbeaten on 65 off 49 balls, and Clive Madonde’s 37, Zimbabwe captain Sikander Raza lamented his team’s poor fielding display. Raza pointed out, “We are proud of our fielding, but the wheels came off today. We gave away 20 extra runs.”
The partnership between Myers and Madonde added crucial runs for Zimbabwe after a shaky start, but it wasn’t enough to overcome India’s dominant performance in the match.
