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India's T20I captain Shreyas Iyer hailed the Men in Blue's comprehensive 90-run victory over Zimbabwe in the second T20I at Zimbabwe's Harare, praising the all-round team performance as the visitors claimed an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
India equalled their own record for the most 200-plus totals in a calendar year after posting 219/5 against Zimbabwe, registering their ninth such score in 2026. Ishan Kishan starred with a blistering 81 off 44 balls, while Tilak Varma remained unbeaten on 60 off 29 as the pair rescued India after early setbacks. Their partnership powered India past the 200-run mark, extending the team's all-time tally of 200-plus T20I totals to a record 52. The bowlers complemented the batting effort with a disciplined performance, led by Abhishek Sharma's three-wicket haul, while Yash Thakur and Prince Yadav picked up two wickets each. They bowled Zimbabwe out for 129 in 17.5 overs, sealing a comprehensive victory and an unassailable lead in the three-match series. Notably, the victory handed Shreyas Iyer his first T20I series win as captain, after earlier suffering a 2-0 defeat to Ireland and a 4-0 loss to England. After the match, Iyer expressed delight after his side's comprehensive victory, describing it as a complete team performance. He praised Kishan and Varma for their match-defining knocks, saying their aggressive strokeplay helped India exceed what he considered a par total of 180-200 and finish with 220. Iyer also credited the bowlers for executing their plans with precision, restricting Zimbabwe to 129 and underlining the team's dominance in all departments throughout the match. "I feel exultant, especially with the way we won today. It was a comprehensive victory and a brilliant contribution from each and every player. Starting with the batting, I think the way Ishan and Tilak played was outstanding. A few of the shots they played were rakanaka (beautiful), and they were really pleasing to the eye. At the start, I felt anything between 180 and 200 would have been a par score, but we ended up getting 220, which was the icing on the cake. So, yeah, brilliant contributions from both of them. Then, with the ball, as usual, the bowlers came in, executed their lines and lengths precisely and bundled them out for 130-odd. I think that basically tells you the story of the game," Iyer said during the post-match presentations. Iyer praised the young team's fearless approach, saying the focus should be on maintaining the right attitude, staying present and making the most of every opportunity rather than dwelling on past performances. "[On the fearless approach of the young team] Yes, that's how you've got to approach the game. I feel it's all about the attitude. Don't dwell too much on previous performances. Keep moving forward and, more importantly, stay in the present. You've got to maximise every opportunity you get," he said. (ANI)
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