Harare, Jul 14: Invited to bat, India posted a competitive 167 for 6 despite some hostile pace bowing by Zimbabwe in the fifth and final T20I here on Sunday.
Sanju Samson struck 58 off 45 deliveries and shared a 65-run partnership with young Riyan Parag (22 runs) to take India past the century mark after the visitors had been reduced to 40/3 in the fifth over.
Pacers Blessing Muzarabani (2/19) and Richard Ngarava (1/29) were the most successful Zimbabwe bowlers.
India lost opener Yashasvi Jaiswal (12), Abhished Sharma (14) and skipper Shubman Gill in quick succession (13) to be in trouble at 40/3 in the fifth powerplay over before Sanju and Riyan came together at the crease.
India brought in Mukesh Kumar and Riyan in the playing XI in place of Ruturaj Gaikwad and Khaleel Ahmed, while Zimbabwe included Brandon Mavuta in place of Tendai Chatara, who was rested after playing four games in a row.
India lead the series 3-1.
Brief Scores:
India 167 for 6 in 20 overs (Sanju Samson 58, Riyan Parag 22, Shivam Dube 26; Richard Ngarava 1/29, Blessing Muzarabani 2/19).
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Chandigarh (PTI): Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains on Saturday said 305 students from government schools qualified in their first attempt of the joint entrance examination (JEE) Mains 2026.
This number reflects an increase of 63 per cent from last year's 187 successful candidates, he said describing the achievement as a defining moment for the state's school education system.
Bains shared that five students from his constituency Sri Anandpur Sahib also cracked the prestigious examination.
He announced that the government will organise a special three-week residential training camp to prepare the qualified students for JEE Advance, ensuring they receive focused guidance for the next stage.
"This feat marks a moment of immense pride for our entire school education department. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to all our dedicated teachers. The recent JEE Mains Phase 1 results showcased an outstanding performance by the Punjab government schools, with 305 students cracking the competitive engineering exam," Bains said.
This feat represents a remarkable 63 per cent increase from last year's 187 qualifiers, he said.
"Achieving such a significant milestone in just one year is a testament to the transformative power of our Punjab 'Sikhya Kranti' initiative. We are committed to further accelerating our progress," the state education minister said.
He also shared that Bhavishya, a Class 12 non-medical student from the School of Eminence in Amritsar secured an impressive 98.182 percentile.
His father runs a mobile repair shop and his mother works as a tailor.
"Despite financial constraints, his determination to pursue engineering and uplift his family remained unshaken. With strong school support and disciplined preparation, he achieved outstanding success," he said.
He further informed that Dilkhush Jha, a government school student from Bathinda, scored 95.091 percentile in JEE Mains.
With his father being a labourer and mother a homemaker, and an annual family income of Rs 1.2 lakh, he relied on self-study.
Similarly, Priyanka Sharma, a science student from the School of Eminence, Sangrur, secured a 96.44 percentile in JEE Mains while simultaneously preparing for NEET.
Bains said no other state government has matched this scale of achievement in government schools.
He congratulated all 305 students and their parents, and thanked the teachers for making what he described as a historic day for Punjab's government school system.
