India captain Shubman Gill led his team to what he termed a “critical” 23-run victory in the third T20 international against Zimbabwe at Harare Sports Club on Wednesday.
With this win, India took a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.
Gill scored 66 runs off 49 balls in India’s total of 182 for four after winning the toss and opting to bat first. In response, Zimbabwe managed 159 for six.
Speaking at the post-match presentation, Gill emphasized the significance of the win, expressing his satisfaction with India’s strong start with both bat and ball.
The victory marked India’s comeback after a defeat in a low-scoring first match earlier in the series. Gill highlighted the collective effort of the team, noting, “Everyone is contributing and that is a positive sign.”
India began aggressively, reaching 49 without loss in the first four overs, thanks to a 67-run opening partnership between Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal. The Indian bowlers then dominated, reducing Zimbabwe to 39 for five within the first seven overs of their innings.
Opening bowlers Khaleel Ahmed and Avesh Khan claimed three wickets during the power play, while off-spinner Washington Sundar took two wickets in his first over and finished with figures of three for 15 in four overs, earning him the Man of the Match award.
India’s lineup was strengthened by the return of three World Cup squad members: Jaiswal, Sanju Samson, and Shivam Dube, who missed the initial matches due to celebrations following India’s World Cup victory in Mumbai.
Jaiswal contributed 36 runs, Samson remained unbeaten on 12 off seven balls, and Dube bowled two overs of medium pace conceding 27 runs without batting.
Abhishek Sharma, who scored a century as an opener in India’s 100-run win in the second match, batted at number three but was dismissed for 10.
Zimbabwe captain Sikander Raza lamented his team’s poor fielding performance, stating, “We take pride in our fielding but today we were not up to the mark. We gave away 20 extra runs.”
Despite the setback, Dion Myers played a valiant innings of 65 not out off 49 balls, supported by Clive Madonde (37), as they added 77 runs for the sixth wicket to revive Zimbabwe’s innings after a shaky start.
