Vaibhav Sooryavanshi makes maiden senior India fifty in 18 balls

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi scored his first half-century for senior India in the opening match of the T20I series against Zimbabwe in Harare on Thursday.

The 15-year-old smashed an 18-ball 50 before being dismissed by Richard Ngarava. The left-hand opener hit four sixes and as many boundaries at a strike rate in excess of 260.

Sooryavanshi became a senior international in India's T20I series in England but only made 14, 13 and 15 runs from three innings as the visitors lost the series 0-4.

Against Zimbabwe, he got going in the second over of the innings, smashing Ngarava for six, four and a six in successive deliveries. Even as Abhishek Sharma fell (1 off 8) in the next over by Blessing Muzarabani, Sooryavanshi did not slow down.

The boy from Bihar welcomed Brad Evans with a four down the ground and a six whipped over fine leg. He gave a similar treatment to Muzarabani to bring up India's fifty in the fifth over. Last month, Sooryavanshi had been part of an India A squad that toured Sri Lanka.