India swept the T20I series in Zimbabwe 3-0. Here are five takeaways from the series.
Sooryavanshi finds a way
India needed to chase only 126 in the first match. It was the ideal opportunity for your under-fire teenage prodigy to get some runs under the belt. But if that was an easy fifty, the one in the third game certainly was not, especially when the in-form Ishan Kishan struggled to get going at the other end on a slow pitch where the odd ball stopped. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi responded with an even bigger fifty that as good as decided the outcome. He finished as the leading run-scorer from either side.
As he had done in the IPL Eliminator a couple of months ago, Sooryavanshi dug deep, choosing his shots, perishing only after taking India to 145 inside 15 overs. The Zimbabwe bowlers adjusted their lengths against him, but Sooryavanshi waited out, waiting for the bad balls. At the post-match presentation, he spoke about wanting to play a big innings once he got a start.
At the post-series press conference, stand-in head coach VVS Laxman was effusive in praise. “Very mature. That’s what I really appreciate about Vaibhav. With every experience and every match, he understands, assesses and gets better. He reviews every practice session, not just matches.”
Tilak question unanswered
Tilak’s series numbers – 77 runs without being dismissed, strike rate 179 – seem impressive, but only 10 of the balls he faced were bowled by spinners. That did not answer a question that has been around for some time: can Tilak hit spin?
Tilak has struck at 107 across the 120 balls of spin he has faced in T20Is in 2026. With a 100-ball cut-off, no Full Member batter has scored as slowly (or even at below 116). India’s Tilak question remained unaddressed as they left Zimbabwe.
It is, of course, not easy for Tilak, who had been excellent inside the powerplay during his stint at No.3. Now, with India spoiled for choices in the top three, he is perhaps batting out of position. The problem is, he has little choice but to adapt.
Bishnoi finds breathing space
Bishnoi’s horror night at Old Trafford earned him brickbats from all cricketing quarters. Yet, with Varun Chakaravarthy injured and somewhat off-form, he is probably the best bet among the leg-spinners.
India backed him in Zimbabwe, and he went for below a run a ball in the series. It is a small sample, but he also seemed to have worked on that back-foot side-of-crease no-ball issue: he did not bowl a single one on the tour.
Backup pacers impress
Mayank Yadav returned to the fray with a wicket off his first ball, something he repeated in the third game as well. He bowled an attacking length at serious pace – an approach more common in longer formats – and came off with five inexpensive wickets.
Prince Yadav had not impressed in England, but looked better in Zimbabwe before picking up an injury. He took four wickets in 5.2 overs. Ashok Sharma was probably unlucky to not get more wickets. Yash Thakur probed and persisted in his two games, and got a few expensive scalps.
None of these bowlers are first-choice options, but as the England tour showed, the Indian pace attack can look insipid in Jasprit Bumrah’s absence. To counter that, it is important for the fringe fast bowlers to get more game time. They got that here, and they impressed.
Still no seam-bowling all-rounder
With no Hardik Pandya or even Nitish Kumar Reddy, the closest India had to a seam-bowling T20I all-rounder were Shivam Dube and Suryansh Shedge. Between them, they got three caps, bowled 7.4 overs, and faced three balls.
Pandya and Reddy are probably going to miss more games over the next two years. India do have some seamers who can hit down the order, but they are yet to identify a forerunner for that role.
