IND vs ZIM 5th T20I: India shattered a world record of the very first legal delivery during the fifth T20I against Zimbabwe in Harare. Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza won the toss for the first time in the series in the final match and invited India to bat first. The Men in Blue sent in the in-form pair of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill to open the batting with Jaiswal starting off the innings with two successive sixes.
Even though Jaiswal fell later in the same over, India had already secured a world record. It so happened that while the left-handed Jaiswal slammed a six on the leg side, the very first ball of the innings, it turned out to be a no-ball. The next ball was a free-hit delivery. Jaiswal was already in the mood and he smashed it for another six off, this time straight down the ground.
READ HERE | 'Most Insecure Player': Fans Slam Shubman Gill As Yashasvi Jaiswal Misses Out On Ton In IND vs ZIM 4th T20I
That meant after the first legal delivery, the scoreboard read IND- 13/0. This way the visitors broke the previous record which belonged to Pakistan who had scored 10 runs off the first legal ball in a T20I in 2022 against Sri Lanka. New Zealand scored 9 runs off the first legal ball against Pakistan in a T20I in 2023.
Nepal and Kenya's names also arrive in the list with Nepal having scored 9 runs off the first legal ball of a T20I against Bhutan in 2019, Kenya smashed 8 runs off the first delivery in an international T20 match against Uganada in 2018.
ALSO READ | Maharashtra Government Announces Rs 11 Crore Prize Money For T20 World Cup-Winning Indian Team
India Post 167/6 In Their 20 Overs
Jaiswal might have fallen for 12 off 5 but India succeeded in positing 167/6 in their 20 overs. It was wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson's who top-scored for the touring party in this match, scoring 58 runs off 45 balls with the help of a boundary and 4 sixes. Shivam Dube also scored an important 12-ball 26*, playing a pivotal role in India reaching the total.