Yashasvi Jaiswal’s scintillating knock powered the Indian cricket team to take an unassailable lead as they beat Zimbabwe by 10 wickets in the fourth T20 match at Harare on Saturday.

Jaiswal, who plays for the Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League, top-scored in the contest with an unbeaten 53-ball 93 as India motored to 156 without losing any wickets, in response to Zimbabwe’s 152/7. 

The southpaw hit his fifth T20I fifty, including two sixes and 13 fours, to make light work of the chase in just 15.2 overs. Indian captain Shubman Gill also scored a half-century as the Men in Blue cantered to a 3-1 lead in the five-match series.

“I really enjoyed today,” said Jaiswal, who was declared the Player of the Match. “The wicket was really good. I was trying to play my shots and I enjoyed my game. 

“When the ball was new it was coming onto the bat. When the ball got old, it was slow. I understood and changed my game… Initially, I wanted to go after my shots. After that, I wanted to rotate and wanted to stay till the end.”

Opening the innings in India’s chase, Jaiswal made his intentions clear, smashing Richard Ngarava for three boundaries in the first over. He amassed 16 runs in the third over and India raced past the 50-run mark within the fourth over. 

Jaiswal continued aggressively even after the powerplay to bring up his half-century in just 29 balls. He sent the Zimbabwe bowlers on a leather hunt notching up boundaries at will and added 156 runs for the unbeaten opening wicket partnership with Gill, who ended with 58 not out in 39 balls.

On the back of Jaiswal’s pyrotechnics, India coasted to an easy win with 28 balls to spare. 

Earlier, captain Sikander Raza top-scored for his side with 46 runs to steer Zimbabwe to 152/7. Khaleel Ahmed was the pick of the bowlers for India with 2/32 in four overs.

The match was Jaiswal’s second in the ongoing series. He played in the third T20 where he scored 36 in 27 balls.

The Indian cricket team will play Zimbabwe in the fifth and final T20 at Harare on Sunday.