India knocked out a defiant Zimbabwe in a high-scoring match in Chennai to maintain alive their probabilities of making the semis.
Printed On 26 Feb 2026
India have roared again to profitable methods within the T20 World Cup, handing a 72-run defeat to a defiant Zimbabwe of their essential Tremendous Eight recreation in Chennai and organising a digital quarterfinal in opposition to the West Indies.
The defending champions posted a mammoth 257-run goal for the spirited African facet, who refused to bow out of the match with out placing up a struggle on the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Thursday.
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Prolific Zimbabwe opener Brian Bennett scored 97 not out, however was unable to see his facet over the road as they continued their spectacular World Cup marketing campaign by scoring 184-6 in opposition to the pre-tournament favourites in entrance of a vociferous residence crowd.
Tempo bowler Arshdeep Singh was the standout bowler for India within the high-scoring match as he picked up 3-24 in his 4 overs.
Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya had been essentially the most economical performers with the ball within the high-scoring match at one of many smaller World Cup venues. Each had been wicketless however gave away solely 21 runs of their three overs, whereas Varun Chakravarthy, Axar Patel and Shivam Dube picked up a wicket every.
Earlier, Sanju Samson made essentially the most of his comeback into the taking part in 11 by hitting a six off the second ball of India’s innings and occurring to attain 24 runs off 15 balls.
His attacking show gave out-of-form opener Abhishek Sharma the time to settle after which launch his personal assault from the opposite finish. The world’s top-ranked T20 batter went on to high rating with 55 off 30 balls in an innings that comprised 4 fours and 4 sixes.
He later thanked his teammates and assist employees for holding the religion in him regardless of his poor efficiency within the earlier matches.
“They instructed me: you could have executed this earlier than, as properly,” Abhishek mentioned after his innings.
The remainder of India’s high and center order contributed to the large complete, nevertheless it was Pandya’s 23-ball-50 on the finish of the innings that propelled the house facet in direction of the 250-plus-run mark.
Pandya and his batting associate Tilak Varma shared an 84-run partnership that included eight mammoth sixes and 5 fours because the Indian pair thrashed Zimbabwe’s bowlers.
India’s place within the Group 1 factors desk didn’t change after the match, however the cohosts now discover themselves in a knockout recreation in opposition to the West Indies on Sunday night in Kolkata.
South Africa have progressed to the semifinals after their nine-wicket win over West Indies within the day recreation in Mumbai. They are going to face Zimbabwe of their last Group 1 match within the earlier fixture in New Delhi on Sunday.
