IND vs ZIM, T20 World Cup: Hardik-Abhishek star as India breeze past Zimbabwe

India remained third as Zimbabwe bowed out of the T20 World Cup. With both India and the West Indies on 2 points each, the IND vs WI match in Kolkata on Sunday will be the virtual quarterfinal with the winner qualifying for the semifinals. South Africa also sealed their spot after Zimbabwe's loss.

Brian Bennett will have a night to remember. He waged a lone battle with an unbeaten 97 off 59. But chasing down 257 was always Mission Impossible. Zimbabwe did not have the intent to chase down that mammoth total. That Zimbabwe scored 73/2 in 10 overs was proof enough. Instead, they wanted to give the batters time in the middle. Zimbabwe ended their innings at 184/6, losing by 72 runs. 

For India, they could not get to positive net run rate, but that won't matter. The win was not without question marks, through. The bowling unit bowled as a practice game with the scoreboard in their favour. Now, India head to Kolkata to take on the West Indies in the virtual quarterfinal. The winner will qualify for the semifinals, while the loser will bow out.

A yorker by Arshdeep Singh and Tony Munyonga missed it completely, trying to go for a big shot. Arshdeep has his 3rd wicket as Zimbabwe lose their 5th for 162.

Arshdeep Singh made a quiet appeal for an LBW, just raising his both hands and the on-field decision was not out. But Suyrakumar Yadav decided to take a last-moment DRS. The replays showed that the ball was hitting the leg stump of Ryan Burl. As a reuslt, Zimbabwe lose their 4th wicket for 144.

Sikandar Raza departs as he tries to go for that big shot but does not get enough bat. He departs for 31 off 21 as Arshdeep Singh gets his first wicket. Zimbabwe 144/3.

Zimbabwe have managed Indian bowling attack well but they are well behind the required run rate. Brian Bennett has been the best batter so far, scoring 78 off 48. He took Axar Patel to the cleaners for 19 runs and then hit Shivam Dube for 26 runs. Dube bowled a 10-ball over.

22-year-old Brian Bennett has his third half-century in this T20 World Cup. He brings up today's fifty off 34 deliveries.

Varun Chakaravarthy has a wicket in his seocnd over. Dion Myers tried to go for a big shot against the mystery-spinner but miscued and Ishan Kishan took an easy catch. Zimbabwe 72/2 in 9.3.

India have a breakthrough and Tadiwanashe Marumani has to depart after surviving in the last over. Axar Patel struck in his 2nd delivery after coming back to the India Playing XI. Zimbabwe 45/1.

Varun Chakaravarthy is denied a wicket as Rinku Singh, who came as a substitute fielder, dropped an easy chance of Tadiwanashe Marumani, who tried to sweep. Zimbabwe survive the powerplay. They score 44/0.

Even Jasprit Bumrah has gone wicketless in his first over as Zimbabwe post 33/0 in five overs. Bumrah almost had a wicket from a yorker but Brian Bennett brought up his football skills to keep the ball away from stumps. 

India haven't found a wicket in the first three overs of Arshdeep Singh and Hardik Pandya. Brian Bennett and Tadiwanashe Marumani are off to a cautious start and haven't given away many chances.

Brian Bennett and Tadiwanashe Marumani begin 257-run chase for Zimbabwe. It will be a very, very difficult task. So, the question is, how close they can get?

All Indian batters managed to play at a strike rate of 150+ today. This is the first time, it happened in a T20I. 

• Tilak Varma 44 off 16 at 275.00
• Suryakumar Yadav 33 off 13 at 253.85
• Hardik Pandya 50 off 23 at 217.39
• Abhishek Sharma 55 off 30 at 183.33
• Sanju Samson 24 off 15 at 160.00
• Ishan Kishan 38 off 24 at 158.33

Team	Score	Ovs	RR	Opposition	Ground	Date
Sri Lanka	260/6	20	13	v Kenya	Johannesburg	14 Sep 2007
India	256/4	20	12.8	v Zimbabwe	Chennai	26 Feb 2026
West Indies	254/6	20	12.7	v Zimbabwe	Wankhede	23 Feb 2026
Ireland	235/5	20	11.75	v Oman	Colombo (SSC)	14 Feb 2026
England	230/8	19.4	11.69	v South Africa	Wankhede	18 Mar 2016

Hardik Pandya and Tilak Varma take India to 256/4. This is India's highest total in T20 World Cup history and 2nd highest in a T20 World Cup. Hardik Pandya hit the last ball for a six to also complete his half-century off 23 balls. India will look to finish off quickly and erase that negative net run rate.

• Powerplay: 80/1
• Middle overs: 107/3
• Death overs: 69/0

India are 241/4 and both Tilak Varma and Hardik Pandya can get to their fifties.

India have another 50-run stand as Tilak Varma and Hardik Pandya bring up their half-century stand off 20 balls.

India go past their highest total in T20 World Cup of 218 that India set against England back in 2007. India are no on course to post 250.

Hardik Pandya and Tilak Varma are on the crease. Both are looking to slog almost every delivery as India aim 240+. India have already crossed 200-run mark in 17 overs.

India have lost another wicket, trying to go for quick runs. Suryakumar Yadav was on the charge as he was batting on 33 off 12. But as he tried to go for a big shot, he miscued and gave away a catch. Tashinga Musekiwa made no mistake this time as India lose their 4th wicket for 172.

Abhishek Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav kept the pressure on Zimbabwe with the scoring rate nearly 12. Tinotenda Maposa, who went for 40 runs in his first 1.4 deliveries, finally had a chance to smile as he removed Abhishek Sharma. The Indian batter was looking to take on Maposa again but this time, it was a slower delivery and Abhishek did not time it well. India 150/3 in 12.5 overs. Abhishek scored 55 off 30.

Zimbabwe drop another catch and it's Blessing Muzarabani who lunges forward but misses the catch after Suryakumar Yadav played a pick-up shot on the leg side.

Ishan Kishan falls as Sikandar Raza breaks the threatening stand. Ishan was looking to play over the cover but he got an edge and the ball safely caught by Richard Ngarava at the third man. India 120/2 in 10.4.

Abhishek Sharma finally comes alive in this T20 World Cup. He gets to his maiden T20 WC half-century off 26 balls.

India get to 110/1 in 10 overs to set up the match nicely. The scoring rate definitely dipped with just 29 runs coming in 4 overs. But the platform is set for a 220+ total.

It was a pretty straightforward catch as Ishan Kishan was trying to go for a switch hit on a fulltoss. But a poor effort in the deep from Musekiwa and he received a lifeline.

India get to 100 in the 10h over with Ishan Kishan and Abhishek Sharma shouldering on nicely. They also bring up a 50-run stand off 32 balls.

With spinners coming in after the powerplay, there is a dip in run rate. But Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan are looking good so far.

A great powerplay for India, despite losing Sanju Samson. Ishan Kishan and Abhishek Sharma have taken charge with a 14-ball 32-run stand. India post 80/1 in powerplay with 17 runs coming off the 6th over.

Against the run of play, Sanju Samson has found a way to get out once again. He falls for 24 off 15 after trying to pull a slower delivery. This was India's highest opening stand in this T20 World Cup. India 48/1.

Abhishek Sharma looks in good touch today and Tinotenda Maposa has given him all the confidence. Abhishek hits three boundaries and a six in the 3rd over as India score 23 runs off Maposa's first over.

Early charge from Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma 💪#TeamIndia 46/0 after 3 overs.

Updates ▶️ https://t.co/p4GxtxGkBf#T20WorldCup | #MenInBlue | #INDvZIM pic.twitter.com/gZyxvRSCzg

— BCCI (@BCCI) February 26, 2026

Sanju Samson has started well and he takes Blessing Muzarabani on for an 85m six over the long on. 

No more duck for Abhishek Sharma. He gets off the mark with a gentle push for a run.

Sanju Samson is off the mark with a six on the long off. He went on the backfoot, where he struggled of late to smash Richard Ngarava for a six. Samson gets 13 runs off the first over and will retain strike.

The old opening pair of Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma is back. It was Samson who faltered repeatedly to make way for Ishan Kishan. Now, he has a chance to correct the course.

Sanju Samson will open with Abhishek Sharma and it will be a teaser of what to come in the IPL 2026. Samson will also open with Ruturaj Gaikwad for Chennai Super Kings after a mega trade from Rajasthan Royals.

Sanju Samson and Axar Patel return to India Playing XI, as expected. Sanju will also keep wickets in place of Ishan Kishan and will open with Abhishek Sharma. Ishan will bat at No 3. 

Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza wins the toss and opts to bowl first 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.