Not Abhishek Sharma's or Ruturaj Gaikwad's heroics! Shubman Gill credits this thing for India's 100-run win vs Zimbabwe in 2nd T20I

The second T20I of the India tour of Zimbabwe 2024 was played on Sunday, July 7. The match between the Shubman Gill-led India National Cricket Team and Sikandar Raza-led Zimbabwe National Cricket Team was hosted by the Harare Sports Club in Harare.

Shubman Gill's Men took part in the second T20I with revenge on their minds as Team India faced a shocking defeat in the series opener on Saturday, July 6. Exactly a week after India were crowned the T20 world champions, their second-string side was at the receiving end of a massive upset in a low-scoring thriller in Harare.

The bowlers were up to the mark with their performance and restricted the opposition team to just 115/9. Ravi Bishnoi, who just some time ago became the No.1 T20I bowler in the ICC rankings, was the star of the show with his 4-wicket haul for just 13 runs.

During the run-chase, Abhishek Sharma fell for a four-ball duck, Ruturaj Gaikwad for 7, Riyan Parag for 2, and Rinku Singh for 0 with India losing four wickets inside five overs. Captain Shubman Gill showed a good fight but was dismissed for 31 while Washington Sundar remained unbeaten till the end when India needed 16 to win off the final over. The all-rounder wasn't able to get the job done and was dismissed for 27 as India got bowled out for 102, losing the match by 13 runs.

Shubman Gill joined an unwanted list after losing to Zimbabwe in the first match as he became just the third Indian captain to face a defeat against the Chevrons in the T20I format. The first one to do so was Ajinkya Rahane in 2015 before MS Dhoni joined him on the unwanted list in 2016.

Not only this, Shubman Gill saw his name in yet another unwanted list as he was the captain of the India National Cricket Team that faced their first defeat in the T20 Internationals in the year 2024. Notably, India had won all their previous T20I matches in 2024, including an unbeaten run in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 where they clinched their second title.

It was actually good to have pressure in the first game - Shubman Gill

Coming back to the India vs Zimbabwe second T20I, India posted a gigantic total of 234/2 on the board, riding on Abhishek Sharma's (100), Ruturaj Gaikwad's (77), and Rinku Singh's (48) performances. With the ball, the Indian bowlers once again performed well and bundled out the opposition for 134 to win the match by 100 runs.

Speaking after the match, Shubman Gill expressed delight over his team's return to winning ways. Shubman Gill showered rich praise on the duo of Abhishek Sharma and Ruturaj Gaikwad for doing a fantastic job with the bat. Shubman Gill stated:

"Very happy, great to be back on the winning note back again. With the way Abhishek and Rutu batted, it was not easy especially in the powerplay, with the ball moving around but Abhi and Rutu built the innings brilliantly."

Shubman Gill further said that they weren't able to handle pressure in the first game, but it was good learning for them as it helped them win the second T20I. Shubman Gill said:

"Yesterday, it was more about not being able to handle the pressure, it's a young side and many of them are new to international exposure. It was actually good to have pressure in the first game and we knew what to expect coming into this game. We have got three matches to go and we are looking forward to them. It's always good to have more options rather than not having options."