India rounded off a dominant tour of Zimbabwe with a convincing 35-run victory in the third and final T20I, completing a 3-0 series sweep. Despite fielding a relatively inexperienced squad, the Men in Blue produced clinical performances throughout the series. Following the victory, captain Iyer and stand-in head coach VVS Laxman exchanged heartfelt words in the dressing room, acknowledging each other’s contributions to the successful campaign.
With regular head coach Gautam Gambhir taking a short break after India’s demanding tour of the United Kingdom, Laxman once again stepped in to guide the young Indian side. His experience, coupled with Iyer’s positive leadership, played a key role in India’s impressive performances throughout the three-match series.
Shreyas Iyer expresses gratitude to VVS Laxman after series triumph
Speaking during the post-match dressing room celebrations in a video shared by the BCCI, Shreyas Iyer thanked Laxman and the entire support staff for constantly motivating the players throughout the tour. The India captain praised the former batter’s guidance, saying the team’s preparation and mindset on every matchday reflected the messages delivered by the stand-in coach.
“I think we were flawless, honestly speaking, throughout the series barring the catches that we dropped. It was a phenomenal effort by everyone in the team, including the support staff. Thank you VVS sir for motivating us and inspiring us. Each and every day when we stepped onto the field, I think everything that you mentioned was apt and we could relate to it. So, thank you so much,” Iyer said.
Earlier in the dressing room, Laxman reserved special praise for Iyer, highlighting the captain’s positive approach despite enduring a difficult start to his T20I captaincy during the recent England series. The former India batter applauded Iyer for keeping the squad motivated and creating a confident environment despite several senior players missing the Zimbabwe tour. Laxman noted that Iyer’s belief in the group and his constant encouragement were among the biggest reasons behind India’s dominant series victory.
India complete commanding 3-0 sweep over Zimbabwe
India once again displayed their all-round strength in the third T20I to wrap up the series without dropping a game. The visitors adapted impressively despite missing several first-choice players, with the younger members of the squad making the most of their opportunities throughout the tour.
The comprehensive clean sweep serves as another positive step for India’s T20 setup ahead of a busy international calendar. While Gambhir is expected to return for the upcoming Test tour of Sri Lanka, Laxman once again proved his value in the interim role by successfully guiding another young Indian side to a series victory.
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