Axar Patel celebrates with his teammates after taking the wicket of Tadiwanash Marumani of Zimbabwe during the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 cricket match between India and Zimbabwe at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. (PTI Photo) TimesofIndia.com in Chennai: It took them five matches but India’s batting finally worked and posted the second highest total in T20 World Cup history. The Men in Blue fired on all cylinders to end their innings on 256/4 and later completed the formalities by restricting Zimbabwe to 184/6 in their must-win Super Eight encounter in Chennai. From a strong power-play to intent in the middle overs and a blockbuster finish – back-to-back sixes from Hardik Pandya – India checked the boxes they wanted in the matches leading up to Thursday’s encounter. Reviving the right-left combination at the top of the order has done wonders for the defending champions.
T20 World Cup: Sitanshu Kotak press conference ahead of India vs Zimbabwe
Sanju Samson’s return to the Playing XI forced the opposition to keep off-spin – their nemesis in the last few games – away. When it was finally introduced, the runs were already on the board and Abhishek Sharma returned to six strikes.Chepauk was at ease as the Indian batsmen feasted on one of the friendliest surfaces of the tournament, aided by ordinary captaincy and bowling. The dot-ball percentage – just 26 – was significantly lower compared to previous games and they all operated at over 150, with three of them hovering in the double hundred mark. There were plenty of sixes, but what was heartening to see was the intent to keep the momentum going throughout the innings.Samson was out after a brisk cameo but Ishan Kishan didn’t let the innings drop. Suryakumar Yadav tinkered with bowlers and fielding positions. Hardik Pandya took his initial time but hit top speed when it mattered and Tilak Varma’s return to fluid form was the biggest positive. Batting at No.6, the left-hander, who faced criticism for a lack of intent in the middle overs, came as a breath of fresh air as he walked away from the word. The left-hander perfected the final act, smashing a 16-ball 44 that featured 3 boundaries and 4 sixes.India benefited from their brightest opening stand of the tournament, but unlike their best powerplay (86/1 vs Namibia) there was no middle-order stranglehold. Even as off-spinners Sikandar Raza and Brian Bennett played in tandem after the on-field restrictions were lifted, Ishan Kishan and Abhishek Sharma kept the score in order and showed no desperation to get out of trouble. The shot selection was good, the scoring areas were intelligent and India negated the off-spin threat quite convincingly. Raza picked the wicket of Kishan to break an ominous-looking 72-run stand, but five collective overs off-spin went for 45, allowing the defending champions to take control of the middle-overs.Abhishek is always a key piece in India’s batting puzzle and the Super 8 clash was another reminder of why life is comfortable when it gets going. It took the youngster a while to reach his maiden fifty in the T20I World Cup, but India will not be complaining as his return to form augurs well for the side in the field and a must-win end to the tournament. If they are to become the only side to first defend the title and then win the edition at home, there is no room for another slip-up. An afternoon assist from South Africa moved the Men in Blue nicely into a good scoring position and the finish is now up to them. The batsmen roared and the collective of the bowling unit was once again on display in front of a large crowd. Arshdeep Singh and Hardik kept it tight with the new ball and when Jasprit Bumrah was introduced in the fifth over of the chase, Zimbabwe looked nervous about the pull. With little help from the bowlers, India bowled in narrow channels. Vice-captain Axar Patel, who returns to the playing XI after two matches, drew first blood in his first over by dismissing Tadiwanash Marumani. However, Zimbabwe threw a few punches during the game with Brian Bennett.The right-handed opener enjoyed attacking the bowlers and used the slog-sweep effectively to clear the ropes several times. Shivam Dube escaped with runs – 46 runs in two overs – but the mountain was too high to climb, even after giant strides in the middle overs. India had two more overs from Arshdeep, one from Bumrah and two from Hardik to seal the deal and the experienced trio stuck to the expected script.An elusive 113 runs were needed from the last 24 deliveries and Arshdeep’s double-wicket brought the hosts closer to closing formalities. Bennett put on a real show with the bat to test the bowlers but even his blinder could only push the total to 184/6. With this emphatic win, India not only kept their campaign alive but also regained their magic ahead of the next must-win clash against the West Indies at the Eden Gardens.Short Score:India 256/4 in 20 overs (Abhishek Sharma 55, Hardik Pandya 50 not out; Sikandar Raza 1-29, Tinotenda Maposa 1-40)Zimbabwe 164/6 in 20 overs (Brian Bennett 99; Arshdeep Singh 3-24)
