IND vs ZIM Live Score, T20 World Cup: Toss coming up, Rinku Singh rejoins squad in Chennai

In the other Super 8, Group 1 match, South Africa have beaten West Indies by 9 wickets. While the Proteas are now in a strong position to seal the deal, they are not through yet as two more teams can get to 4 points each.

Rinku Singh has rejoined the squad and he is warming up with the rest of the team. Will he retain his spot or get benched for Sanju Samson?

Both India and Zimbabwe take the field for the warm-up drills. We will have the toss soon.

Despite losing his form and struggling against spin, the team management has trusted Tilak Varma. He is likely to keep his spot intact. But only for the Zimbabwe clash.

World No 1 T20I batter Abhishek Sharma chose the wrong time to lose his form. Not that he wanted to but the sluggish pitches exposed his weaknesses. After three ducks in the group stage, he scored 15 against South Africa. But with Ishan Kishan and Tilak Varma also drawing blanks, things went from bad to worse. But if Abhishek fails again, India might want to rethink their strategy.

Team India arrive at the MA Chidambaram stadium ahead of the must-win clash against Zimbabwe. 

🚨Indian Team arrived at Chepauk Stadium for Must-win clash vs Zimbabwe tonight.#INDvsZIM #T20WorldCuppic.twitter.com/0TAGyIhaMc

— GAURAV (@crazyGaurav_) February 26, 2026

After resting and dropping Axar Patel in the last two matches for Washington Sundar, India are likely to bring him back. And it is likely that Sundar will go back to the bench at his home stadium.

At the nets in Chennai, Sanju Samson got an extensive session with the bat and also with the gloves. That was a hint of Samson making a return to the Playing XI. However, that was due to the absence of Rinku Singh. There was a doubt whether Rinku would be available as he had to rush back home to attend to his ailing father. But he has returned since. Now, the real question is: will the team management drop Tilak Varma or Rinku to accommodate Samson?

The black-soil pitch at Chepauk has evolved into a batting surface in this T20 World Cup. Once spinner-friendly with slower, gripping conditions, it now offers good bounce and pace, making it one of the best batting grounds in the tournament. High scores of 180-200+ are common when batting first, with an average first-innings score around 187 in recent matches here. Dew could assist the chasing side.

Matches at Chepauk in T20 WC 2026

1st Innings	2nd innings
Afghanistan 182/6	New Zealand 183/5 (17.5)
UAE 173/6	New Zealand 175/0 (15.2)
USA 199/4	Namibia 168/6
Afghanistan 200/4	Canada 118/8

India and Zimbabwe have played 13 T20Is to date. Team India hold a clear dominance, including a victory in their only prior T20 World Cup meeting in 2022. Zimbabwe have occasionally upset the odds, but India have won the most recent encounters convincingly.

• India wins: 10
• Zimbabwe wins: 3

For Zimbabwe, it is the perfect opportunity to hunt down the favourite in their own backyard. Captain Sikandar Raza would be the key if Zimbabwe want to challenge a wounded India. Their aggressive approach and spinners could trouble India on any turning track

So far, Chennai has offered high-scoring pitches that would be suitable for India. Dew might play a role in the second innings. But considering India’s bowling prowess, Zimbabwe would need a special performance to win.

Team India completed their group stage formalities despite a few hiccups. Abhishek Sharma scored three ducks, failing to open his account. Tilak Varma also struggled, while captain Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan were also inconsistent on sluggish pitches. All those came back to haunt India against South Africa as they suffered a humiliating 76-run defeat in Ahmedabad. Their batting collapsed in the chase and apart from Shivam Dube, nobody could offer any resistance.

Now, they need a win or they will have to watch others play the semifinals from the stands. There will be no defeat or repeat history. But for that to happen, India must overcome their deficiency of playing spin. It won’t be easy in Chennai if the pitch offers assistance to the spinners. There is a call for change in strategy, bringing back Sanju Samson in place of Tilak Varma or Rinku Singh, who had to rush back home to attend to his ailing father. However, it is unlikely that India will make too many changes.