HARARE: Ishan Kishan hit 81 off 44 balls as India crushed Zimbabwe by 90 runs in the second T20 on Saturday to take a 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
Kishan struck nine fours and two sixes as India piled up 219 for five. Tilak Varma contributed 60 not out off 29 balls, including three sixes, while the 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi made a speedy 20.
In reply, Zimbabwe was bowled out for 129 in 17.5 overs. Debutant Yash Thakur picked up two for 30, while Abhishek Sharma took three for 17 and Prince Yadav claimed two for 10 in 1.2 overs before walking off with an injured hamstring.
Put into bat, Sooryavanshi provided a blistering start, hitting three fours and one six in the PowerPlay, but Abhishek Sharma fell to Blessing Muzarabani for the second match running.
Muzarabani then caught Sooryavanshi off Richard Ngarava as India slipped to 29 for two.
Kishan, however, put on 66 off 42 balls with skipper Shreyas Iyer, who scored 25 before being caught at backward point off Brian Bennett. It brought Kishan and Varma together and they added 94 off 43 balls for the fourth wicket.
Kishan scored his 13th T20I half-century off 31 deliveries, while Varma hit three sixes to race to his half-century off 23 balls.
Kishan fell in the 18th over, but India managed to get past 200.
Zimbabwe’s reply never really took off. Bennett made 32 off 19 balls, including three fours and three sixes, but didn’t get much support.
India won the first T20 on Thursday by seven wickets. The third game is on Sunday at the same venue.
AP