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After slipping in the first game, India made a sensational comeback to take the five-match series 4-1 against Zimbabwe. Several fresh faces and fringe players got a chance to showcase their skills and will be delighted with the kind of performances they were able to put in.
T20 World Cup winner Sanju Samson scored a well-made 58 as India posted a target of 168 in the final T20I. Zimbabwe needed a good start with the bat but kept losing wickets at regular intervals, thereby getting bundled out for just 125 in reply.
India's four back-to-back wins have given them several reasons to be positive about and here are five of the biggest takeaways:
#5 Ravi Bishnoi impressing once again
Not long ago, Ravi Bishnoi was the No.1-ranked T20I bowler and would have been gutted to miss out on the plane to the T20 World Cup. However, he has managed to put that disappointment aside and deliver an impressive performance against Zimbabwe.
While the Men in Blue lost their first game, Bishnoi was the star for the visitors as he picked up brilliant figures of 4/13. He ended the series with six wickets from five games at a fantastic economy rate of 5.57. With Ravindra Jadeja having retired from T20Is, Bishnoi could start getting regular game time in the shortest format.
#4 Mukesh Kumar strengthening his case
Fast bowler Mukesh Kumar has been on the fringes of India's T20I side for a while now and is another player who would have been gutted to not be a part of the T20 World Cup squad. He played just three games in the series against Zimbabwe but picked up as many as eight wickets at an economy rate of 7.37.
Mukesh also won the Player of the Match in the fifth T20I for his impressive figures of 4/22. His ability to nail yorkers almost at will and such consistent performances could soon strengthen his case for a spot in the next T20 World Cup squad a couple of years down the line.
#3 Ruturaj Gaikwad, India's middle-order batter
The presence of the likes of Abhishek Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Shubman Gill at the top meant that Ruturaj Gaikwad had to bat at No. 3 or No. 4 in the series against Zimbabwe. Naturally being an opener, Gaikwad adapted to the role well and showed great intent in the middle overs.
Gaikwad's scores of 77* in the second T20I and 49 in the third T20I showed that he could deliver in the middle order as well. Gaikwad scored 133 runs in four games at an impressive strike rate of 158.33 and has thrown his hat in the ring as a potential long-term middle-order option.
#2 Abhishek Sharma's all-round contribution
A stellar IPL 2024 season allowed Abhishek Sharma to break into the Indian team for the Zimbabwe tour. While he got off to a poor start in international cricket with a duck on debut, Abhishek backed it up with a sensational hundred off just 46 balls in the second T20I.
The southpaw scored 124 runs at a strike rate of almost 175 and showed that his counter-attacking game could be just what India would need in the post-Rohit Sharma-Virat Kohli era in T20Is. Abhishek also chipped in with a couple of wickets, showing how handy he could be with his left-arm spin.
#1 Washington Sundar winning Player of the Series
Arguably the biggest takeaway for India has been Washington Sundar's performances with the ball. The off-spinner has had several injury woes and they have been one of the main reasons why he hasn't quite been able to nail down his spot in the Indian team. Sundar also didn't have much of a role to play in the IPL, thanks to the Impact Player rule.
However, Sundar picked up eight wickets in the series against Zimbabwe at an economy rate of just 5.16. He also won the Player of the Match in the third T20I for his figures of 3/15. Consistent performance throughout helped him win the Player of the Series award as well.
