India have won their first Twenty20 International series under captain Shreyas Iyer after defeating Zimbabwe by 90 runs in the second match at Harare Sports Club on Saturday.
Ishan Kishan and Tilak Varma scored impressive half-centuries as India posted a strong total of 219 for five before bowling Zimbabwe out for 129 in 17.5 overs.
Wicketkeeper-batter Kishan scored 81 runs from 44 balls, while Varma remained unbeaten on 60 from 29 deliveries as India took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. The final match will be played on Sunday.
The victory marked a strong response from India after their earlier series defeats in Ireland and England. The team arrived in southern Africa looking to recover from those setbacks.
Teenage batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who scored his maiden T20I half-century in the previous match, made 20 runs from nine balls in Harare.
India, after being asked to bat first, reached 219 for five in their 20 overs. Zimbabwe struggled in reply and were dismissed for 129 runs.
Kishan, batting at number three, shared a 66-run partnership with captain Shreyas Iyer, who scored 25, before adding 95 runs with Varma for the fourth wicket.
Kishan hit nine fours and two sixes before being dismissed by Newman Nyamhuri. Varma continued the attack with three sixes and five fours in his unbeaten innings.
Sooryavanshi struck three fours and a six before he was caught off Richard Ngarava’s bowling.
Zimbabwe, ranked 10 places below India in the T20I rankings, struggled throughout the chase. Brian Bennett scored 32 runs, while wicketkeeper Tadiwanashe Marumani made 24.
Yash Thakur took his first T20I wicket by dismissing Bennett, while left-arm spinner Abhishek Sharma was India’s leading bowler with figures of three for 17.
