Harare, July 23 -- India defeated Zimbabwe by seven wickets in the first T20I of the three-match series at the Harare Sports Club on Thursday, with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi smashing a blistering 18-ball 50 to help the visitors chase down 126 in just 13.2 overs.

India got off to a flying start, reaching 22 runs in the first two overs. Sooryavanshi smashed 19 runs off Richard Ngarava in the second over. Zimbabwe hit back in the following over, with pacer Blessing Muzarabani dismissing Abhishek Sharma for just one run.

However, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi continued his aggressive batting, smashing a series of boundaries over the next two overs as India raced to 52/1 after five overs, with Sooryavanshi on 48. At the end of the powerplay, India reached...