Iyer Elated After First Win as India T20I Captain

Shreyas Iyer finally tasted victory as India's T20I captain, leading the team to a seven-wicket win over Zimbabwe in the first match of the three-game series in Harare. The win ended a run of seven consecutive losses since Iyer took over the captaincy from Suryakumar Yadav, who had led India to World Cup glory.

Iyer remained unbeaten on 28 off 24 balls as India chased down 126 with ease. Earlier, Mayank Yadav's fiery spell of 2 for 18 helped restrict Zimbabwe to 125 for 7. Opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi then blasted a 19-ball fifty, his first in international cricket, to set up the win.

Iyer praised his bowlers for their discipline and singled out Sooryavanshi for his fearless batting. "Vaibhav came out and gave us an exceptional start. He is fearless and possesses immense confidence," Iyer said after the match. The win also saved Iyer from an embarrassing record of three consecutive series losses, having previously lost to Ireland and England.