India’s 1st 10-wicket T20I win and 12 other statistical highlights

With this win, once again many records entered the record book and we present the statistical highlights.

After losing the first Twenty20 Internationals (T20I) against Zimbabwe at Harare, Indian cricket team made a strong comeback in the second match of the series by defeating the hosts by 10 wickets. Just like the ODI series, Zimbabwe were thrashed once again as they failed in every department — be it fielding, bowling or batting. Batting first, Zimbabwe started tumbling from the beginning and in the end, somehow managed to post 99 for 9. On the other hand, Indian openers KL Rahul and Mandeep Singh chased down easily without losing any wicket in the 14th over of the match. With this win, once again many records entered the record book and Abhishek Kumar presents the statistical highlights.

1.  Barinder Sran and Dhawal Kulkarni became third Indian bowling pair to open bowling in their T20I debut.

2.  Jasprit Bumrah took three wickets in this match and surpassed Ravichandran Ashwin’s record of taking most wickets in a calendar year. Bumrah has taken 24 wickets in 2016, while Ashwin has taken 21 wickets year so far. Overall, Bumrah has third most wickets in a calendar year after Saeed Ajmal – 25 wickets in 2012 and Dirk Nannes – 27 wickets in 2010.

3.  Sran took three wickets in his third over of the match and became the second Indian bowler after Ashok Dinda to take three wickets in a single over of a T20I.

4.  Sran ended his spell with four wickets by conceding only 10 runs on his T20I debut. These are  the best bowling figures by an Indian on T20I debut surpassing Pragyan Ojha’s 4 for 21 in 2009.

5.  Sran’s bowling figure of 4 for 10 is the second best by an Indian in a T20Is after Ashwin’s 4 for 8 in 2016 against Sri Lanka.

6.  Overall, Sran’s bowling figure of 4 for 10 is the second best by a debutant in a T20I after Elias Sunny, who took 5 for 13 against Ireland in 2012.

7.  Zimbabwe’s total of 99 is their third lowest total in T20Is. Their previous lowest totals in T20Is were 84 against New Zealand in 2010 and 93 for 8 against South Africa in 2012.

8.  This was India’s first victory by 10 wickets in T20Is.

9.  Zimbabwe’s 99 for 9 was also the 11th lowest total in T20Is by a team, which played full 20 overs and without getting bowled out.

10.  Rahul took a total six balls to score his first T20I run. This is the joint most number of balls taken by an Indian batsman to score his first T20I run. Gautam Gambhir also scored his first T20I run after six balls.

11.  Partnership of unbeaten 103 between Rahul and Mandeep is the second highest opening partnership for India after Gambhir and Virender Sehwag’s 136 against England in 2007.

12.  This is the second instance where both the Indian openers remained unbeaten in a T20I. First time it happened in a rain affected match against South Africa in 2012.

13.  Sran became the fifth Indian cricketer to receive man of the match awards on his T20I debut.

This article was first published at Criclife

(Abhishek Kumar is a cricket devotee currently staffing with Criclife.com. He can be followed on Twitter @abhishekkr2593 and on Facebook at abhicricket.kumar)