The Indian team performed exceptionally well in the third and final T20I against Zimbabwe. Taking on the side at the Harare Sports Club, India managed to register a 35-run victory. At the forefront of the win was 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.ย
India whitewashed Zimbabwe, 3-0, in Harare, and Sooryavanshi came out as the highest run-scorer in the series with 151 runs in his three innings. His performances secured him his first international Player of the Match award and his first Player of the Series title as well. The achievement made him Indiaโs youngest player to win the titles.
The youngster, after a half-century in the first T20I, went on to score 81 runs in the final T20I of the series. Following the game, the ecstatic 15-year-old spoke of his approach in the match and said that it all feels like a dream-come-true moment for him.
โYes, it’s truly a dream-come-true moment. Getting my first Man of the Match and Man of the Series awards, I’m very happy. My game is the same as what I played in T20 cricket. I was just trying to do that for the team. In all three matches, I tried to give the teams a good start. If I got a good start, then I wanted to make the innings bigger. That was my only approach,โ Sooryavanshi said after the game.ย
Sooryavanshi talked of the support he got from his team
Before the three-match series against Zimbabwe, Sooryavanshi had enjoyed success at the venue. In February this year, he played for India in the U-19 World Cup semifinal. In the semifinal, he scored 68 and followed it with a sensational 175 in the final as well.
โIt felt really good. Our preparation was very good during the two or three days after we arrived in Harare. I also played the Under-19 World Cup here, so everyone backed me- the captain, the coaches, everyone- so I’m very happy,โ he said.ย
His recent score of 81 also made him the first player to record multiple 50-plus scores in men’s internationals before reaching the age of 16. In the opening match of the series, Sooryavanshi made 50 runs in 19 balls, and followed it with 20 in the next match.
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