New Delhi: A week after three of our ‘golden oldies’ bowed out of T20 Internationals on an unmatched high by lifting the ICC World Cup, we got a peek into the next generation.
It wasn’t a very happy sight, as the young team under Shubman Gill’s leadership crashed to an unexpected 13-run defeat at the hands of much lower-ranked Zimbabwe in the first of 5 T20 Internationals at Harare on Saturday.
Opting to field first on a pitch which offered some assistance to the bowlers, India restricted the Zimbabweans to 115/9 in 20 overs. Leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi bagged 4/13 and offie Washington Sundar 2/11.
However, the batters struggled against the unfancied bowling attack from the very outset.
Even though world No. 1 India were without some their T20I regulars like Suryakumar Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Kuldeep Yadav, Gill’s boys were expected to overcome a Zimbawean team – ranked No. 12 in the world — which failed to qualify for the 2023 ODI World Cup and the recent T20 World Cup.
Abhishek Sharma (0), Riyan Parag (2) and Dhruv Jurel (6), the three debutants who set the IPL on fire a few months ago, were all at sea against the likes of Tendai Chatara, Sikandar Raza, Wellington Masakadza and Blessing Muzarabani.
Ruturaj Gaikwad (7) and Rinku Singh (0) failed to get going as well, and it was only Gill (31) and Sundar (27) who put up a resistance.
Brief Scores
Zimbabwe 115/9 in 20 overs (Clive Madande 29*; Ravi Bishnoi 4/13, Washington Sundar 2/11.
India 102 all out in 19.5 overs (Shubman Gill 31; Tendai Chatara 3/16, Sikandar Raza 3/25).
Result: Zimbabwe won by 13 runs.
Man of the Match: Sikandar Raza.
