Shubman Gill and Ruturaj Gaikwad shine at the start as Washington Sundar secures a 23-run victory for India in 3rd T20I against Zimbabwe.

The Zimbabwe tour has become a crucial platform for India's top-order batsmen, especially with the retirements of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma from T20Is. Following Abhishek Sharma's impressive century in the last game, Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal took their turn to showcase their abilities as India secured another convincing victory in Harare on Wednesday. India, batting first, posted a strong total of 182/4, with Washington Sundar earning the Player of the Match award for his outstanding figures of 3/15, which helped secure a 23-run win.

India now leads the series 2-1, with the last two T20Is scheduled for the weekend.

Before Wednesday's match, there was much speculation about how India would structure their batting order after Jaiswal joined the squad. Given the abundance of top-order options, one of the four openers on tour was expected to adapt to a different role, as Ruturaj Gaikwad did in the first two matches. However, India opted to pair Jaiswal with Gill at the top, further experimenting with their lineup.

For Washington Sundar, who also serves as a top-order batsman but has had limited opportunities with the bat, this tour is critical. Known for his spin bowling during the Powerplay overs, he had a chance to showcase his skills with the ball. With only Ravi Bishnoi, who took a spectacular catch at cover, being the other spinner in the squad, Washington will have several matches to prove himself.

In the match, Sundar adapted his bowling strategy by bowling slower deliveries outside the off-stump, taking crucial wickets including those of Sikandar Raza, Jonathan Campbell, and Clive Madande. Despite Dion Myres' 65 off 49 balls and Wellington Masakadza's efforts, which brought some joy to the local fans, Sundar's spell was instrumental in India's victory.