New Delhi: India captain Shubman Gill expressed his disappointment after Zimbabwe stunned the T20 World Champions, handing them their first T20I defeat of 2024 in a low-scoring thriller in Harare. In the post-match presentation, Gill acknowledged that while his team bowled well, their fielding ultimately let them down.
“We bowled pretty well, we let ourselves down in the field. We were not up to standard and everyone looked a bit rusty. We spoke about taking time and enjoying our batting but it didn’t pan out that way,” Shubman Gill said in the post-match presentation ceremony.
He highlighted the loss of early wickets as a critical factor, adding, “Halfway through we had lost 5 wickets, would’ve been best for us if I stayed there till the end, very disappointed with the way I got out and the rest of the match panned out. There was a bit of hope for us but when you’re chasing 115 and your no.10 batter is out there, you know something is wrong,” he added. Gill also appreciated Washington Sundar’s great effort but concluded that the team failed to perform collectively.
Opting to bowl first after winning the toss, India restricted Zimbabwe to a modest 115/9 in their 20 overs. Zimbabwe’s innings was marked by regular wickets, with four batters failing to trouble the scorers. Opener Wessly Madhevere managed 21 runs off 22 deliveries, while Brian Bennett (22 off 15), Sikandar Raza (17 off 19), and Dion Myers (23 off 22) got starts but couldn’t convert them into substantial scores. Clive Madande anchored the innings with an unbeaten 29 off 25 balls, helping Zimbabwe post a defendable total. Ravi Bishnoi was the standout performer with career-best T20I figures of 4-2-13-4. Washington Sundar also shone, taking two wickets for just 11 runs in his four overs. Mukesh Kumar and Avesh Khan chipped in with a wicket each, though Avesh conceded three boundaries to Madande in the final over.
What seemed like an easy chase for India turned into a nightmare as the visitors lost four wickets in the powerplay and never recovered. Abhishek Sharma’s four-ball duck to Bennett in the first over set the tone for the collapse. Ruturaj Gaikwad, Riyan Parag, Rinku Singh, and Dhruv Jurel all faltered, leaving India in deep trouble. Shubman Gill top-scored with 31 off 29 balls, but his dismissal shattered India’s hopes. At 61/7, India were reeling, but Avesh Khan’s spirited cameo of 16 off 12 balls briefly revived hopes, with Washington Sundar holding the other end. Once Avesh was caught in the deep, the pressure mounted on Sundar, who fought valiantly to score 27 off 34 balls but couldn’t guide India home. India were eventually bowled out for 102 in 19.5 overs, sealing a remarkable victory for Zimbabwe.
