Yadav joins elite Indian bowling cohort with first-ball dismissal in Harare

Indian fast bowler Mayank Yadav has joined an exclusive group of national cricketers after dismissing Zimbabwe opener Brian Bennett with the very first ball of the opening T20I in Harare on 23 July 2026. The dismissal, confirmed via an UltraEdge review after an initial on-field appeal was turned down, elevates Yadav to the status of only the third Indian bowler to achieve this specific feat, placing him alongside Arshdeep Singh and Hardik Pandya.

The breakthrough came shortly after India captain Shreyas Iyer won the toss and elected to bowl first. Charging in at 149 kmph, Yadav delivered a back-of-a-length ball just outside off stump that seamed away late. Bennett, rooted to the crease, managed only a faint edge to wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan. Although the on-field umpire initially rejected the appeal, Kishan urged a review, and the UltraEdge technology confirmed a clear spike as the ball passed the bat, overturning the verdict and sending Bennett back for a golden duck.

This marks Yadav’s second first-ball wicket in T20I cricket, having previously dismissed Bangladesh opener Parvez Hossain Emon in Hyderabad during October 2024. The achievement places him in company with Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who leads the list of Indian bowlers with three such dismissals, while Pandya, Singh, and Yadav now each hold two. Ravichandran Ashwin remains the only other Indian bowler to have achieved the feat once.

The match saw several notable team selections and changes. India named teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in the playing XI, while Rajasthan pacer Ashok Sharma made his international debut. In a procedural first, India announced designated concussion substitutes for specific roles, with Suryansh Shedge, Prabhsimran Singh, Harsh Dubey, and Yash Thakur covering batting, wicketkeeping, spin, and pace respectively.

Zimbabwe were forced into a squad adjustment prior to the match after Milton Shumba was ruled out with a right hamstring injury. Innocent Kaia was called up as his replacement. Despite the change, Zimbabwe’s innings began in a difficult manner, with Yadav’s early breakthrough providing India with a perfect start to their bowling campaign in the series opener.