Cricket

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah has lauded the Indian cricket team's emphatic series victory over Zimbabwe in the five-match T20I series. The young Indian team, led by Shubman Gill, clinched the series with a dominant 10-wicket win in the fourth T20I at the Harare Sports Club.Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill were the stars of the show for India, smashing unbeaten fifties to guide their team to a comfortable victory. Jaiswal remained unbeaten on 93, while Gill scored 58 not out as India chased down the target of 156 in just 15.2 overs.The Indian team had a disappointing start to the series, losing the first T20I by 14 runs. However, they bounced back strongly in the second T20I, winning by 100 runs thanks to a century from opener Abhishek Sharma. India then took a 2-1 lead in the third T20I, riding on a superb bowling performance by Washington Sundar.The fourth T20I was a one-sided affair, with India dominating from the start. The Indian bowlers restricted Zimbabwe to 152/7 in 20 overs, with Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav picking up two wickets each. In reply, Jaiswal and Gill put on an unbeaten 156-run partnership to seal the series victory for India.BCCI secretary Jay Shah congratulated the Indian team on their impressive performance. "What a way to clinch the T20I series! Top stuff from our young guns! @ybj_19 (Yashasvi) and @ShubmanGill were spectacular with the bat in the run chase. Congratulations to the entire team and support staff on a fantastic series win. @BCCI #ZIMvIND," Shah wrote on Twitter.The Indian team, which is missing several key players who helped India win the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024, has shown great promise in the Zimbabwe series. The young players have stepped up and performed admirably, giving the Indian cricket fans plenty of reasons to be optimistic about the future.

Abhishek Sharma's maiden T20I century against Zimbabwe marked a significant milestone in his career, earning him accolades from former all-rounder Yuvraj Singh. After a disappointing debut, Sharma showcased his batting prowess with a blistering 47-ball century, studded with seven fours and eight maximums.Yuvraj, who mentors Sharma, took to social media to congratulate the youngster, urging him to remain grounded. "Rome wasn't built in a day! Congratulations @IamAbhiSharma4 on the journey to your first International 100! Many more to come," Yuvraj tweeted.In a video call with Sharma, Yuvraj expressed his pride and predicted more centuries to come. "I'm very proud. Well done. You deserve it. Many more to come. This is just the start," Yuvraj said.Sharma acknowledged Yuvraj's contributions to his development, both on and off the field. "It is all because of him as well. The hard work he has put on me. Two, three years he's been working really hard on me and everything," Sharma said.Interestingly, Sharma revealed that he used skipper Shubman Gill's bat for his century. "I played with his bat only, which I found very difficult. He didn't even give it to me easily. This has been going on since I was under 14. Whenever I have played from his bat, it's good," Sharma said.Sharma's approach in the match was to capitalize on the overs he felt confident about. "I felt that as soon as I thought that I could go for this bowler, I tried my best in that over. I was in a flow, so I just wanted to go there and express myself," Sharma explained.With the series leveled at 1-1, India will face Zimbabwe in the third T20I on Wednesday, aiming to secure a series victory.