After an unexpected defeat in the series opener against the hosts, India, led by Shubman Gill, staged a remarkable comeback in the subsequent four games, dominating proceedings and clinching the series 4-1 against Zimbabwe.
Notably, under the guidance of coach VVS Laxman, India experimented with five debutantes during the series while three players from the squad had recently been part of the ICC T20I World Cup-winning team and joined the series from the third match onwards.
Now, let’s delve into the performance ratings and examine the contributions of each Indian player throughout the series.
Batters
Shubman Gill (8/10): Assuming the captaincy for the first time on the international stage, opening batter Gill impressed with both his leadership and batting performances. Despite modest scores in the 2nd and 5th T20I, Gill displayed a promising form throughout the series.
In the series opener, he played a cautious innings, scoring 31 off 29 balls. However, he hit his stride in the third and fourth T20I scoring consecutive fifties. Emerging as the leading run-scorer of the series, Gill accumulated 170 runs at an average of 42.50 and a strike rate of 125.93.
Abhishek Sharma became the first Indian batter to score a hundred in his second T20I
Abhishek Sharma (6.5/10): Abhishek Sharma, the 23-year-old opener, made a blazing entry into the T20I arena after captivating audiences in the IPL. Despite a challenging debut with a duck in his first match, the Punjab-born batter quickly redeemed himself in the following game by smashing a ton off just 46 balls.
However, Abhishek’s form fluctuated throughout the series, struggling to surpass the 15-run mark in subsequent innings. Overall, he accumulated 124 runs across four innings, boasting an average of 31 and an impressive strike rate of 174.65. He also clinched his maiden international wicket during the fourth T20I.
Yashasvi Jaiswal (8.5/10): Yashasvi Jaiswal joined the team as an opener in the third game, contributing 36 runs off 27 balls. In the next match, Jaiswal led the chase for 153 runs with an unbeaten innings of 93 runs.
Jaiswal finished as the second-leading run-scorer of the series, amassing 141 runs at an impressive average of 70.50 and a strike rate of 165.88.
Ruturaj Gaikwad (9.5/10): Ruturaj Gaikwad demonstrated remarkable consistency throughout the series, finishing as the fourth leading run-scorer with a tally of 133 runs in 3 innings. He averaged 66.50 with a striking rate of 158.33.
Although he didn’t bat in the fourth T20I as Gill and Jaiswal completed the chase without losing their wickets, and was benched in the final T20I, Gaikwad’s performance remained impressive.
Riyan Parag (2.5/10): Making his debut in the absence of some regular players, Riyan Parag, who had an exceptional IPL season, struggled to make an impact in this series.
Parag batted only in the first and last match, scoring 2 runs off 3 balls and 22 runs off 24 balls, respectively. Accumulating just 24 runs in two matches with a strike rate of 88 is concerning for the young talent who also rolled his arm and could be a useful player in the future.
Rinku Singh (5/10): Rinku Singh began the series with a duck but bounced back with an impressive innings of 48 runs off 22 balls in the next match. Limited opportunities in the subsequent games saw him face only 10 balls combined.
Nevertheless, the southpaw ended the series with 60 runs in 4 innings, averaging 60 and boasting a strike rate of 176.47.
Dhruv Jurel (1/10): In the series opener, the wicketkeeper-batter, Dhruv Jurel, played nine dot balls and was eventually dismissed after scoring just six runs off 14 deliveries. In the second match, he did not get a chance to bat and was benched by the team management for the remaining matches.
Sanju Samson (7.5/10): Similar to Jaiswal, Sanju Samson played the last three matches of the series. He remained unbeaten in the third T20I, scoring 12 off seven balls, and did not get a chance to bat in the penultimate game.
In the final match, Samson rescued India from a collapse with a crucial innings of 58 runs off 45 balls, helping the Men in Blue post a respectable total. Overall, the 29-year-old accumulated 70 runs, with an average of 70 and a strike rate of 134.61.
All-rounders
Washington Sundar (9/10): Clinching the Player of the Series award, Washington Sundar made a significant impact throughout the tour. With the bat, Sundar scored 28 runs in the series.
With the ball, he was the joint top wicket-taker, claiming 8 wickets. His impressive bowling statistics include an average of 11.62, a strike rate of 13.50, and an economy rate of 5.16.
Shivam Dube (6.5/10): Shivam Dube, didn’t get a chance to bat in the third and fourth T20Is but scored 26 runs off 12 balls and bowled his full 4-over quota, taking 2 wickets in the final game bagging the Player of the Match award in the dead rubber.
Bowlers
Ravi Bishnoi (7/10): The leggie Ravi Bishnoi showcased exceptional skill in the first two games, delivering outstanding figures of 4-2-13-4 and 4-0-11-2.
Despite going wicketless in the next three matches, Bishnoi maintained tight control over his bowling, finishing the series with an economy rate of 5.57.
Avesh Khan (7/10): Avesh Khan made significant contributions in the first three matches of the series. His standout performance came in the second T20I where he claimed 3 crucial wickets.
With a total of 6 wickets in the series, Avesh boasted an average of 13.83, an economy rate of 7.54, and a strike rate of 11.
Mukesh’s 8 wickets are the joint-most by an Indian pacer in a T20I bilateral series
Mukesh Kumar (9.5/10): Mukesh Kumar emerged as a standout performer, sharing the leading wicket-taker spot. Across three innings, the paceman captured 8 wickets, displaying an impressive average of 9.37 and a strike rate of 7.62.
His economical bowling, with an economy rate of 7.37, defines his impact whenever given the opportunity, despite being benched for the third and fourth T20I.
Khaleel Ahmed (4/10): Khaleel Ahmed made a modest contribution to the team’s success, finishing the series with 3 wickets from 3 innings and an economy rate of 6.81.
Tushar Deshpande (3/10): Making his debut in the 4th game, Tushar Deshpande claimed his maiden international wicket by dismissing Sikandar Raza. Overall, Deshpande took 2 wickets in the 6 overs he bowled across the last two matches but proved to be expensive.