India revived their chances of qualifying for the semi-finals by defeating Zimbabwe by 72 runs through an outstanding batting and bowling performance in a crucial Super Eight match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.
In the important Group 1 Super Eight match played in between hosts and , Zimbabwe won the toss and invited the defending champions to bat first. India made full use of the opportunity and posted the highest total of the tournament.
Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma provided India with an aggressive 48-run start, but Blessing Muzarabani dismissed Samson in the fourth over after he scored 24 runs off just 15 balls.
Young batter Abhishek Sharma returned to form and took the team’s score to 120 for the second wicket along with Ishan Kishan. After Kishan departed for 38, Sharma added another 30 runs with captain Suryakumar Yadav and also completed his half-century.
Abhishek Sharma’s 55-run innings, which included four fours and four sixes, ended when India reached 150 runs, while Suryakumar Yadav was dismissed for 33 when the score stood at 172.
Hardik Pandya and Tilak Varma then stitched together an 86-run partnership to take India to the highest total of the ongoing World Cup, with Pandya scoring a half-century and Varma contributing 44 runs.
India set Zimbabwe a daunting target of 257 runs in the allotted 20 overs, with none of the Zimbabwean bowlers managing to make a significant impact.
Zimbabwe made a relatively slow start while chasing the big target, as Brian Bennett and Tadiwanashe Marumani added 44 runs. Axar Patel dismissed Marumani for 20, while Dion Myers could only add six runs.
Captain Sikandar Raza tried to keep Zimbabwe’s hopes alive but managed 31 runs off 21 balls with the help of two fours and two sixes before being dismissed in the 17th over with the team score at 144.
Brian Bennett remained unbeaten on 97 off 59 balls, hitting eight fours and six sixes, but failed to lead his team to victory as Zimbabwe finished on 184 for 6 in 20 overs.
Arshdeep Singh took three wickets for India, helping the team stay in contention for a semi-final spot with a comfortable 72-run victory over Zimbabwe.
Hardik Pandya was named Player of the Match for his all-round performance.
It is worth mentioning that India had lost their first Super Eight match to South Africa and will face West Indies on March 1 in a must-win encounter to decide their semi-final qualification.
In Group 1 of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, South Africa lead the table with four points after winning both of their opening matches, while West Indies are in second place with two points and a superior run rate. India have also secured two points but with a negative run rate.
