Mayank Yadav takes 2/18 as India beat Zimbabwe in first T20I

Mayank Yadav took 2 for 18 and was named Player of the Match in India's seven-wicket win over Zimbabwe at Harare. The pacer said returning to play for India kept him motivated through the two-year injury layoff. His childhood dream, he added, helped him come back stronger after the mental grind of being away.

Ashok Sharma made his India T20I debut in the same match. The 24-year-old Rajasthan pacer, a farmer's son from a village near Jaipur, clocked 154.2 kmph in IPL 2026 and led the wicket-takers in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy with 22 scalps.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi scored his maiden international half-century off 18 balls to help India chase 126. The 15-year-old batted under new captain Shreyas Iyer.