Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s love affair with Harare continued as the teenager produced yet another brilliant knock at the venue to lead India to a 35-run win on Sunday, handing the visitors a 3-0 sweep in the ZIM vs IND T20 2026 series.
Sent in to bat first, the Indian cricket team posted a formidable 192/5 on a slow wicket, with Vaibhav’s 49-ball 81 proving to be the centrepiece of the innings. The hosts managed 157/7 with Mayank Yadav impressing with the ball for India.
The knock also saw Vaibhav, who had become the youngest to score a fifty in international cricket in the first game, finish as India’s top scorer in the series with 151 runs. It was the 15-year-old’s second series in senior cricket after his debut campaign in England earlier this month.
Zimbabwe struck early with Blessing Muzarabani dismissing Abhishek Sharma for the third time in the series. The Indian opener scored just two before being caught behind.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, though, kept the scoreboard ticking. The left-hander raced to a 31-ball fifty, his second in T20Is, before cutting loose against the spinners with a mix of reverse-sweeps and lofted drives.
Ishan Kishan lent able support, striking 29 before Sikandar Raza cut through him to leave India at 95/1.
Sooryavanshi carried on to score a career-best 81 off 49 balls, laced with eight fours and four sixes, before Brad Evans ended the assault with a full-stretch diving catch off Wessly Madhevere
India T20 captain Shreyas Iyer, meanwhile, made a brisk 27 before holing out to deep midwicket, again off Evans, in the 18th over.
Rinku Singh then provided the late thrust with a 14-ball 25, only for Evans to have him caught at deep cover off the innings’ final delivery. Tilak Varma finished unbeaten on 11 as India closed on 192/5.
Harare has become a happy hunting ground for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. Earlier this year, the 15-year-old lit up the Harare Sports Club with a match-winning 175 off just 80 balls against England in the U19 World Cup final, having already struck 68 in the semi-final at the same venue.
Brad Evans finished with two wickets for Zimbabwe to go with his catch to get rid of the marauding teenager.
Mayank Yadav gave India the best start possible, dismissing Brian Bennett for a golden duck for the second time in the series.
Yash Thakur, who had impressed with two wickets on his T20I debut on Saturday, then struck off consecutive deliveries in the fifth over to get rid of Dion Myers and Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza, leaving the hosts at 3/34.
Ben Curran and Ryan Burl tried to steady the ship but the 31-run partnership was broken in the eighth over by Ravi Bishnoi, who got rid of Curran
Burl then teamed up with Wessly Madhevere to put together 60 runs for the fifth wicket before Mayank Yadav returned to the attack and had Madhevere caught at midwicket.
The hosts eventually ran out of overs at 157/7 with Burl notching up his 13th T20I fifty.
Mayank Yadav was India’s standout bowler, finishing with career-best figures of 3/29.
ZIM vs IND T20 2026, 3rd match, brief scores: India 192/5 in 20 overs (Vaibhav Sooryavanshi 81; Brad Evans 2/41) beat Zimbabwe 157/7 in 20 overs (Ryan Burl 54 not out; Mayank Yadav 3/29) by 35 runs.