India reclaim No. 1 T20I ranking after sealing series against Zimbabwe
New Delhi, July 26
India have reclaimed the No 1 spot in the ICC Men's T20I Team Rankings after taking an unassailable 2-0 lead in the T20I series against Zimbabwe in Harare.
The reigning ICC Men's T20 World Cup champions moved back to the top of the rankings, overtaking England, who had briefly claimed the summit following a 4-0 T20I series sweep at home, according to the ICC website.
India's batters starred in the second T20I after the team secured a dominant victory in the series opener, where the bowlers laid the foundation and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi produced a record-breaking knock.
After losing two early wickets, Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer came together to stitch a 66-run partnership, before Tilak Varma notched up a superb knock. (60 off 29 balls).
The highest scorer of the game, Kishan (81 off 44 balls), while speaking to the reporters post the match, said, "We were down two wickets, but at the same time, as a batter batting at no.3, your job is to just watch the ball and play your natural game."
"You also have to understand the wicket; there were a lot of thoughts going on whether we want to end up getting 250, 230 or if the wicket is just about getting 170-180 runs.
"Shreyas Iyer came in, and we just wanted to build a partnership and take the innings deep. And I think we executed our plans in a good manner."
Chasing a tall target of 220, the Chevrons lost five wickets inside the first nine overs and were eventually bundled out for 129 as India took an unassailable lead in the T20I series.
The two teams will lock horns again on July 26, Sunday.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Great to see India back at No. 1 in T20Is. The batting depth is phenomenal - from Ishan to Tilak, everyone contributed. The World Cup victory seems to have given this team a new level of confidence and hunger. Well deserved!
I'm loving the way this young Indian team is playing. Kishan's approach shows maturity beyond his years - reading the situation and adapting accordingly. That's the mark of a champion side. Keep it up, boys! 👏
Honestly, while the batting was impressive, our bowling attack also deserves credit. Bundling out Zimbabwe for 129 after posting 220 shows the complete performance. But I hope the team doesn't get complacent - we need to keep this momentum going for the upcoming tournaments.
No. 1 ranking is good for morale, but the real test will be against stronger teams like Australia and England. Still, it's nice to see the bench strength on display - these youngsters are showing they belong on the international stage. Exciting times ahead! 🏏
Kishan's statement about understanding the wicket and adjusting targets shows the maturity in this young squad. The way they bounced back from 2 wickets down shows the fighting spirit. This team has the right attitude to dominate world cricket for years. Kudos to the management too! 🌟
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