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New Delhi: Shreyas Iyer was relieved and happy as India secured their first win under his captaincy after beating Zimbabwe by 7 wickets in the first T20I of the three-match series in Harare on Thursday, July 23.Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Mayank Yadav starred for India as they returned to winning ways after losing six matches in a row in their recently concluded tour of the UK.

Iyer, who took over as India’s T20I captain ahead of their tour of the UK earlier this year, remained winless in the T20I series against Ireland and England. India were clean-swept 2-0 in the two-match T20I series against Ireland before losing 4-0 against England. The pressure was on Iyer ahead of the Zimbabwe series.

However, Sooryavanshi’s brilliance with the bat and an impactful performance from Mayank with the ball on his return for India after over 1.5 years helped India return to winning ways against Zimbabwe on Thursday. Iyer couldn’t hide his happiness as he savoured his first win as captain.

“Couldn’t be happier. I think the boys were tremendous in terms of execution. Getting my first win, I couldn’t be happier,” Iyer said after the game.

India produced an impressive all-round show to beat Zimbabwe by 7 wickets in the series opener. Mayank and Prince Yadav picked up two wickets apiece to help the visitors restrict Zimbabwe to a low-key total of 125 runs after Iyer won the toss and opted to field first. Sooryavanshi’s blazing fifty then helped India chase down the target in just 13.5 overs.

Sooryavanshi was the standout performer with the bat for India in their 7-wicket win against Zimbabwe in the first T20I. The teenage sensation played his natural game and looked at his devastating best as he took the Zimbabwe bowlers to the cleaners. The 15-year-old’s fifty came off just 18 balls and was laced with four sixes and as many fours.

Iyer lauded Sooryavanshi for his fearless approach and said it was an exceptional knock from the youngster. “As I mentioned, it was exceptional batting from him. He is a fearless youngster. The way he approached his innings was indomitable,” said Iyer.

Iyer also cited Sooryavanshi’s familiarity with the conditions at Harare as the reason behind his confidence. The 15-year-old had slammed a stunning knock of 175 runs in the U19 World Cup at the same venue earlier this year.

“He has played here before, so he has a fair idea of how these wickets behave. He scored 175 in an Under-19 final, so he carries immense confidence whenever he steps onto the field, and you could see that today,” Iyer added.