New Delhi: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi continued his impressive run with the bat for India in the 3rd and final T20I against Zimbabwe at the Harare Sports Club
in Harare on Sunday, July 26. Sooryavanshi notched up his second T20I fifty en route to his brilliant knock of 81 runs off 49 balls against the hosts. The teenage sensation also became the first player in the world to achieve a remarkable feat with his half-century.
Sooryavanshi became the first player to have two fifty-plus scores to his name in international cricket before turning 16. Last week, the 15-year-old had become the youngest half-centurion in international cricket. Nepal batter Kushal Malla is the only other batter with an international fifty to his name before turning 16.
However, no other batter apart from Sooryavanshi has managed to score two fifties before turning 16 in international cricket.
50-plus scores before turning 16 in men’s intl cricket:
2 – Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (India)
1 – Kushal Malla (Nepal)
Sooryavanshi opened the innings with Abhishek Sharma and took the Zimbabwe bowlers to the cleaners from the word go despite losing his opening partner early after India opted to bat first in the third T20I. Abhishek was dismissed cheaply on 2 off 4 balls, but Sooryavanshi remained unfazed on the other end and played his natural game.
He notched up his fifty off 31 balls and shared a 75-run stand with Ishan Kishan, who scored 29 off 26 balls after his match-winning half-century in the last game. The 15-year-old upped the ante after completing his half-century and finished with 81 off 49 balls, which was laced with 8 fours and 4 sixes.
Sooryavanshi looked destined for his maiden T20I hundred, however, his innings was cut short after Brad Evans pulled off an exceptional catch to dismiss the youngster off the bowling of Wessly Madhevere in the 15th over of India’s innings.
India post 192/5 in 20 overs
India rode on Sooryavanshi’s 81 and useful knocks from skipper Shreyas Iyer (27), Kishan (29) and Rinku Singh (25) to post a strong total of 192/5 in 20 overs in the 3rd T20I against Zimbabwe at the Harare Sports Club. India have won the first two T20Is on the trot and will be aiming to pull off their third win in a row to clean sweep the three-match series 3-0.
