Team India start a fresh T20I series against Zimbabwe in Harare on Thursday, and this is a good time to check out the top 5 players to score the highest individual runs for India against Zimbabwe in the T20I format. With Yashasvi Jaiswal once again opening the innings for India, fans can look back at some great knocks played by Indian batters on Zimbabwean soil over the years.
India and Zimbabwe have faced each other 14 times in T20Is so far, and the Men in Blue have won 11 of those matches while the hosts have won just three. Ahead of the new series, let’s look at the five best individual innings played by Indian batters against Zimbabwe in this format.
Number 5: Shubman Gill’s Fighting Fifty
Shubman Gill, while leading the side, scored 66 runs off 49 balls against Zimbabwe in Harare in July 2024. This knock came in the third T20I of a five-match series, and India batted first, putting up 182 runs for the loss of 4 wickets in their 20 overs. In reply, Zimbabwe were held down to 159 runs for the loss of 6 wickets.
Gill was the top scorer for India in this match, hitting seven fours and three sixes during his fifty. He added 67 runs for the first wicket along with Yashasvi Jaiswal, who scored 36 runs off 27 balls. Gill’s innings ended when he was caught by Sikandar Raza off the bowling of Blessing Muzarabani.
After Gill got out, Ruturaj Gaikwad chipped in with 49 runs off 28 balls, helping India push past the 180-run mark. With the ball, Washington Sundar picked up three wickets, while Avesh Khan took two wickets for India.
Number 4: Suresh Raina’s Old-School Special
Before the current group of young batters made their mark, former India batter Suresh Raina held this spot with his unbeaten 72 runs off 44 balls against Zimbabwe in Harare back in June 2010. This innings came in the second T20I of a two-match series, and the left-hander hit six fours and two sixes on his way to victory. India ended up winning this match by seven wickets.
India bowled first in this game and kept Zimbabwe down to 140 runs for the loss of 5 wickets, with Ashok Dinda leading the bowling attack by picking up two wickets. While chasing the target, India lost opener Naman Ojha early for just 10 runs. However, Raina then joined hands with Murali Vijay, who scored 46 runs off 39 balls, and the two added 79 runs together for the second wicket.
After Vijay’s exit, India also lost Yusuf Pathan cheaply for just four runs. But Raina stayed calm and took the team home in the 18th over with a boundary off the bowling of Tendai Chatara.
Number 3: Ruturaj Gaikwad’s Quickfire Innings
Ruturaj Gaikwad played a fast innings of 77 runs off just 47 balls against Zimbabwe in Harare in July 2024, and this knock came in the second T20I of a five-match series. India won the toss and chose to bat first, putting up a huge total of 234 runs for the loss of just 2 wickets. In reply, Zimbabwe could only manage 134 runs, handing India an easy win.
During India’s innings, skipper Gill got out early for just two runs. However, Gaikwad then joined hands with Abhishek Sharma, and together the two batters added 137 runs for the second wicket. Gaikwad hit 11 fours and one six during his innings and stayed unbeaten till the end. He also built an unbroken 87-run stand for the third wicket along with Rinku Singh, who scored 48 runs off 22 balls without getting out.
While chasing the big target of 235 runs, Zimbabwe got all out in just 18.4 overs. Mukesh Kumar and Avesh Khan both picked up three wickets each for India in this comfortable win.
Number 2: Yashasvi Jaiswal’s Unbeaten Gem
Yashasvi Jaiswal, the man currently opening the batting for India in the ongoing series, played a brilliant unbeaten innings of 93 runs off just 53 balls against Zimbabwe in Harare in July 2024. This knock came in the fourth T20I of a five-match series and helped India win the match by 10 wickets, sealing the series with a 3-1 lead.
India won the toss and chose to bowl first, restricting Zimbabwe to 152 runs for the loss of 7 wickets, with Khaleel Ahmed being the top bowler for India, picking up two wickets. While chasing the target, India completed the win in just 15.2 overs without losing a single wicket. Jaiswal’s brilliant knock included 13 boundaries and two sixes, and he built an unbroken opening stand of 156 runs along with skipper Gill, who also stayed unbeaten on 58 runs off 39 balls.
This stand between Jaiswal and Gill became the second-highest partnership for India in a T20I run-chase, only behind their own record of 165 runs against West Indies in Lauderhill the year before. This chase was also only the fifth time in T20I history that a team managed to chase down a target of more than 150 runs without losing even one wicket.
1. Abhishek Sharma’s Historic Ton
At the very top of this list sits Abhishek Sharma, who became the first Indian batter to score a century in T20Is against Zimbabwe. He smashed exactly 100 runs off just 47 balls in Harare in July 2024, and this knock came in the second T20I of the five-match series. What makes this innings even more special is that it came in only his second T20I match, right after he was out for a duck on his debut.
Batting first after winning the toss, India piled up a huge total of 234 runs for the loss of just 2 wickets in their 20 overs. After Gill got out cheaply, Abhishek took charge and attacked the Zimbabwe bowlers without any fear, hitting seven fours and eight sixes during his knock. He reached his century off just 46 balls and stayed unbeaten till his innings ended right after he completed his hundred, getting caught at short third man off Wellington Masakadza’s bowling. Along with Gaikwad, he added 137 runs for the second wicket.
In reply, Zimbabwe were bowled out for just 134 runs in 18.4 overs, and India won the match by a huge margin of 100 runs.
A Quick Look at the Top 5 List
| Rank | Player | Score | Venue and Date |
| 1 | Abhishek Sharma | 100* off 47 balls | Harare, July 2024 |
| 2 | Yashasvi Jaiswal | 93* off 53 balls | Harare, July 2024 |
| 3 | Ruturaj Gaikwad | 77* off 47 balls | Harare, July 2024 |
| 4 | Suresh Raina | 72* off 44 balls | Harare, June 2010 |
| 5 | Shubman Gill | 66 off 49 balls | Harare, July 2024 |
It is worth noting that four out of these five top scores came during the same tour of Zimbabwe in July 2024, showing just how strong India’s batting line-up was during that particular series. As the new series between India and Zimbabwe gets underway in Harare, it will be interesting to see if any player can break into this list or even take the top spot away from Abhishek Sharma.
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