India have reclaimed the No.1 position in the ICC Men’s T20I Team Rankings after taking an unassailable 2-0 lead in the ongoing T20I series against Zimbabwe in Harare.
The reigning ICC Men’s T20 World Cup champions returned to the summit of the rankings, overtaking England, who had briefly claimed the top spot following their 4-0 T20I series sweep at home.
India’s rise came on the back of another commanding performance against Zimbabwe. After the bowlers starred in the series opener, which featured a record-breaking knock from Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, the batters took centre stage in the second T20I.
India suffered an early setback after losing two wickets but recovered through a crucial 66-run partnership between Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer. Tilak Varma then provided late impetus with a scintillating 60 off just 29 deliveries.
Kishan emerged as the highest scorer of the match with an 81-run knock off 44 balls and said the team’s focus was on assessing the conditions and building partnerships after the early wickets.
“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,” Kishan told reporters after the match.
“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,” he added.
Chasing a daunting target of 220, Zimbabwe’s batting line-up crumbled under pressure, losing five wickets within the first nine overs before being bowled out for 129.
With the victory, India sealed the series with a match to spare and reclaimed the No.1 spot in the ICC Men’s T20I rankings.
The two sides will meet again in the third T20I on Sunday, July 26.
