“You don’t think about the wickets that have already fallen. The past is past. You just keep watching the ball. You know your strengths, you know where you can score and which bowlers you can target. It’s about being smart in the middle. I kept things very simple and just backed myself to play my shots all around the ground,” he said after the game where he was adjudged the player of the match.

“To be very honest, I didn’t feel this was the kind of wicket where you could just walk in and score 200-plus runs. We felt anything around 180 would be a good total because there was variable bounce on a few deliveries. So we knew partnerships were going to be very important. But as a number three batter, once you’re set, you want to make it count and score big runs so that your team gets to a total like the 220 odd we managed today,” he added.

Meanwhile, an injury to fast bowler Prince Yadav will force India to make a few changes in the third and final T20I to be played on Sunday, said skipper Shreyas Iyer after their series-clinching 90-run win over Zimbabwe.

Prince hobbled off the field clutching his hamstring after pulling up during his bowling run-up on the second ball of his second over. The right-arm pacer had taken two wickets by then.

“One of our players got injured unfortunately so you might see a few changes tomorrow (Sunday),” Iyer told the broadcaster after the match.

India, who posted 219 for five riding on Ishan Kishan’s 81 and Tilak Varma’s 60 not out, bowled Zimbabwe out for 129 in 17.5 overs and take an unassailable 2-0 lead.

“The way Ishan and Tilak played was outstanding. I thought 180-200 would be par score but we ended up getting 220 which was the icing on the cake.” “That’s how you have to approach the game, it’s about the attitude. Be in the present and try to execute.” he added.

But Kishan first made 66 runs for the third wicket with skipper Shreyas Iyer (25) and then a 94 for the subsequent wicket with Tilak as the tourists overcame the early wobble.

Kishan paced his innings to a nicety as he focused on giving some stability to Indian innings. The left-hander brought his fifty in 31 balls, but the next 31 runs came in 13 balls as he pressed on the accelerator.

The onside play was the hallmark of his innings, peppering the regions around mid-wicket with constant big hits.

Off-spinner Brian Bennett was clobbered for two fours to that part of the field while pacer Brad Evans was punished for 4, 4 and a 6 through the onside.

Tilak, on the other hand, doused the talks about his strike-rate for now, playing a sensational supporting innings and reached fifty in 23 balls.

The left-hander smoked Zimbabwe’s best bowler Blessing Muzarabani for three fours in a row, and the third one was a peach – a nice, little dab behind the point using the bowler’s pace. Brute power was on display too when Tilak lifted Evans for a six over mid-wicket.

Their assault was so faultless as India amassed 61 runs in the last five overs to place themselves at a safe distance from Zimbabwe at this point.

Before Kishan marshalled India’s innings around him, India lost Abhishek Sharma and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi early.

Abhishek softly lobbed Muzarabani to Ryan Burl at point. Sooryavanshi looked set for another fifty reaching 20 off 9 balls that contained a sequence of 4, 6, 4, 4 off Richard Ngarava.

But Ngarava managed to extract quick revenge, as Sooryavanshi skied a into-the-body bouncer to Muzarabani at mid-on.

However, India did not give Zimbabwe many more moments of joy for the remainder of the innings.

It was as reassuring a comeback as India could have hoped for. Yet, it is only the beginning of a much bigger test.

The three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe, squeezed into four days, is not merely an opportunity for Mayank to prove he can still bowl fast. It is India’s first chance to assess whether he can withstand the physical demands of international cricket again.

Mayank Yadav of India speaks at the interview during the 1st T20 International match between Zimbabwe and India at the Harare Sports Club, Harare, Zimbabwe on July 23, 2026. (CREIMAS)

Mental Battle

Ever since his stunning debut IPL season in 2024, Mayank’s career has been marred by injuries. In the last couple of seasons, he has featured in all but six matches for Lucknow Super Giants.

“It was very difficult. The two-year gap was very challenging for me as a person. I was only 22-23 years old at that time, so that always affected me that I had to go through so much at such a young age,” Mayank said after the match. “But at the same time, the motivation to play for the country is every player’s childhood dream. That was the motivation for me — to come back for the country and perform.”

Mayank believes his biggest gains have come away from the spotlight.

“I think more than physically, for me, mentally I got much better, and I knew my body a lot after the surgery and after the rehab. So, it makes a huge difference for me,” he added.

The real challenge begins now, and that is why the next two matches could prove more significant than the first.

Fitness Test

India play the remaining two matches of the series on successive days, giving Mayank little time to recover between games. Fast bowling is as much about recovery as it is about performance. The ability to recover quickly and produce another high-intensity spell is often what separates bowlers who play frequently from those whose bodies break down repeatedly.

The selectors and support staff are unlikely to judge him purely on wickets or economy. They will be monitoring the consistency — or the lack of it — of his pace, how his body responds after each outing, whether he can avoid any physical setbacks while also maintaining rhythm.

Zimbabwe’s conditions could help. Mayank admitted: “I had heard a lot about Zimbabwe, that there is good help for the fast bowlers here. This is my first time playing in Harare, and it felt great. I was getting a lot of help from the wicket, and I think that helped me contribute to the team,” he said.

The assistance from the surface meant it was not necessary to chase extra pace on every delivery. Seam movement and bounce did much of the work, allowing him to trust the conditions while still operating in the high 140s.

That may end up being the biggest positive from Mayank’s comeback. There was little sign of a bowler trying too hard to prove he could still touch 150 kph. Instead, he looked comfortable using the conditions, bowling the right lengths and mixing up his pace whenever needed.

For India, that may be every bit as encouraging as seeing 149 kph on the speed gun. The first T20I showed that Mayank still has raw pace in his arsenal. The next two matches, however, will answer the bigger question.

Can his body keep handling this workload, with matches every other day, at the international level? Only if the answer is yes can Mayank’s comeback truly be called complete.

The Delhi player, who took 2 wickets for 18 runs, also said that the conditions at Harare suited his bowling style.

“I had heard a lot about Zimbabwe, that there is good help for the fast bowlers here. This is my first time playing in Harare and it felt great. I was getting a lot of help from the wicket and I think that helped me contribute to the team,” he added.

Praise for Sooryavanshi

The pacer also lavished praise for teenage prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi who slammed his maiden half century on Thursday.

“His batting is unbelievable. When I bowled to him, he played some shots that you can’t expect from such a young player with so little experience. He always gives you a new experience and it’s great to watch him,” he said.

“I think he can go very far because the talent he has at this age is fabulous. I never imagined a 15-year-old guy would come and smash everyone like that. It’s a great feeling to be in his team now because in the IPL, when we were playing against him, he smacked us like anything,” he added.

Having rested a few pacers for the trip, the changed coaching staff led by VVS Laxman preferred specialists over all-rounders. It meant batting depth was compromised, but it was still a strong outfit.

𝐒𝐄 𝐊𝐄𝐇 𝐃𝐄𝐍𝐀 𝐒𝐎𝐎𝐑𝐘𝐀𝐕𝐀𝐍𝐒𝐇𝐈 𝐀𝐀𝐘𝐀 𝐇𝐀𝐈

𝐑𝐔𝐊𝐄𝐆𝐀 𝐍𝐀𝐇𝐈, 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐊𝐄𝐆𝐀

Watch it LIVE on FanCode! https://t.co/q6VBxaRJz3 #ZIMvIND #IndiaCricket #RokoNahiThoko pic.twitter.com/ACaAC23Zoq

— FanCode (@FanCode) July 23, 2026

After India chose to bowl first, Mayank – playing his first India game in two years, got off the mark immediately. An exciting talent who had come to the limelight in the IPL, he has spent a considerable time battling injuries. But since the start of the 2026 IPL, with a slightly remodelled action which has not compromised on his pace, he has been showing encouraging signs.

Right through his four overs, he showed impressive consistency. Mostly sticking to back of a length, his pace and bounce troubled the Zimbabweans. He rarely offered width, forcing batsmen on to the backfoot and hurrying them with pace.

It was not just Mayank, Prince Yadav, with his impeccable control of length, showed again that he is a talent worth investing in. With movement on offer, he made the most out of the conditions, getting two wickets like Mayank.

Zimbabwe were rocked early, with the Powerplay yielding only 26 runs for the loss of three wickets. Even when the field spread out, India didn’t take the pedal off, with Ravi Bishnoi too striking early in his spell by trapping Ryan Burl.

No respite

Those wickets meant Zimbabwe’s innings never got the momentum it needed. More importantly for India and Shreyas, they found a few takeaways. In a format where teams have relied on raw pace, India haven’t had the luxury with Jasprit Bumrah being the Man Friday for all seasons. That they have been reluctant to hand a recall to Bhunveshwar Kumar means, for the next T20 World Cup cycle, they are still looking for pace prospects. And in that regard, the likes of Mayank, Ashok Sharma and Prince – who clocked over 140kmph and above through the afternoon – seem a promising bunch to invest in.

Aate hi kaam shuru kar diye

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— FanCode (@FanCode) July 23, 2026

Mayank, with his history of injuries, seems tailor- made for the format, and can trouble batsmen on all surfaces with pace. Ditto with Ashok. With Gurnoor Brar being seen as a red-ball prospect, it paves the way for India to have a pool of pacers for different formats.

That Zimbabwe ended up with 125/7 was largely down to Wessly Madhevere (39) and Tadiwanashe Marumani (29 not out), who ensured they batted out the 20 overs. In Ireland, despite striking early, India had ended up conceding nearly 100 runs in the last 10 overs. There were no such mistakes in Harare.

With only a modest total to chase, Sooryavanshi did the rest. The conditions were challenging, especially the steep bounce. Even as the likes of Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan showed signs of struggle against short deliveries, Sooryavanhi chose to be brave. Among all the batsmen, he appeared the one who learnt from the mistakes they committed in England, choosing the right shots. When he did that, the fours and sixes flowed, as India took control of the game by the time the Powerplay ended at 66/1.

Once Sooryavanshi perished a ball after bringing up his fifty off 18 deliveries – his showdown against Blessing Muzarabani being the highlight of the knock – India took a bit of time, but eventually reached the target in 13.2 overs to take 1-0 series lead with two matches to play.

Brief scores: Zimbabwe 125/7 in 20 overs (Wessly Madhevere 39, Tadiwanashe Marumani 27 not out; Mayank Yadav 2/18, Prince Yadav 2/19) lost to India 126/3 in 13.2 overs (Vaibhav Sooryavanshi 50, Ishan Kishan 35, Shreyas Iyer 27 not out; Blessing Muzarabani 2/26) by seven wickets