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The culmination of the five-match T20I series between India and Zimbabwe on Sunday (July 14) saw the reigning world champions clinch a commanding victory by 42 runs in the final encounter. Sanju Samson’s gritty innings of 58 runs propelled India to a competitive total of 167, a target they successfully defended by bowling out the hosts for 125 runs in just 18.3 overs.
Pacer Mukesh Kumar led the bowling charge with an impressive haul of four wickets for 22 runs in 3.3 overs, while Shivam Dube contributed significantly with both bat and ball, taking two crucial wickets for 25 runs and smashing 26 runs off just 12 balls. Dube’s impactful all-round performance rightfully earned him the Player of the Match honors for the final match of the series.
Throughout the series, Shubman Gill stood out with the bat, accumulating a total of 170 runs, while Mukesh Kumar dominated the bowling statistics with 8 wickets from three matches. Despite their stellar contributions, the Player of the Series accolade went to 24-year-old Washington Sundar, a decision that bypassed both Gill and Kumar.
The versatile spin-bowling all-rounder from Tamil Nadu showcased his skills across all five matches for India, making a significant impact with eight wickets to his name. Additionally, he contributed with the bat, scoring 28 runs across two innings during the series.
Sundar said, “Good to have finished with a win. After the first game, the conditions were similar to those in South Africa, getting that extra bounce and extra pace. We had enough time to get a lot of information. Lot of takeaways and learnings, I bowled a lot in this series. We had a lot of success as a team.”
In the 2024 IPL season, the 24-year-old cricketer represented Sunrisers Hyderabad but had limited opportunities, featuring in just two matches where he managed to claim one wicket.
However, despite his subdued IPL stint, Sundar earned a call-up to the Indian squad for the away series against Zimbabwe, edging out his SRH teammate Shahbaz Ahmed. He exceeded expectations with an impressive performance, reaffirming his potential.
Now, with his stellar showing, Sundar is poised to secure a spot in India’s upcoming T20I squad for the forthcoming three-match series against Sri Lanka.
