Mayank Yadav sets rare record with one wicket in IND vs ZIM Harare T20I | Cricket News

Mayank Yadav (Image: BCCI)

New Delhi: Indian pacer Mayank Yadav on Thursday added another milestone to his growing reputation as he thrashed his rivals in the opener in Zimbabwe Brian Bennett Joined the elite list of Indian bowlers with the first ball of the opening T20I in Harare.The fast pacer became the third Indian bowler to take a wicket off the first ball in a T20I match, following the example of Arshdeep Singh and Hardik Pandya. Ashdeep bowled USA’s Shajan Jahangir at the 2024 T20 World Cup in Nassau, while Hardik bowled Pakistan opener Syam Ayub with the opening ball at the 2025 Asia Cup in Dubai.This is also the second time that Mayank has batted first in a T20I innings, after he dismissed Bangladesh opener Parvez Hossain Emon during India’s home series in Hyderabad in October 2024.

Review confirms India’s dream start

Mayank made an immediate impact after India captain Shreyas Iyer won the toss and elected to bowl first.Charging at a speed of 149 kmph, the right-armer soon bowled a long-on ball outside off-stump but caught it late. Brian Bennett clung to the crease and could only pass a narrow pass to goalkeeper Ishan Kishan.Although the on-field umpire dismissed India’s appeal, Kishan was sure he heard something and immediately urged Iyer to review the decision. UltraEdge confirmed a clear snap as the ball went over the bat, overturned the initial call and sent Bennett back for a golden duck after facing just one pitch.Indian bowlers take wickets on first ball of T20I

The wicket gave India the perfect start and highlighted Mayank’s ability to trouble batsmen with his pace and movement right from the start.With his dismissal, Mayank also joins an exclusive group of Indian bowlers with multiple one-wicket hauls in T20Is. Bhuvneshwar Kumar tops the list with three such dismissals, while Hardik Pandya, Arshdeep Singh and Mayank now have two each. Ravichandran Ashwin is the only Indian to have achieved this feat.Indian bowlers take wickets on first ball of T20I innings

Earlier, India included teenage batsman Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in the starting XI; Rajasthan pacer Ashok Sharma makes international debut. India also announced another first before the match, naming role-specific concussion substitutes, with Suryansh Shedge, Prabhsimran Singh, Harsh Dubey and Yash Thakur responsible for batting, wicketkeeping, spin and pace respectively.Milton Shumba missed the series with a right hamstring injury and Zimbabwe were forced to make a substitution before the game, with Innocent Kaia taking his place.However, Mayank ensured that Zimbabwe’s match started in the worst possible way, giving India a fantastic start with a record-tying one-goal breakthrough.