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India annihilated Zimbabwe by 72 runs in their Super 8 clash at the Narendra Modi stadium on February 26 to stay afloat in the T20 World Cup 2026 semifinal race.
India rout Zimbabwe to stay alive in semis race
India first rode on fifties from Abhishek Sharma and Hardik Pandya to post a record total of 256/4. In reply, Arshdeep Singh ran through the Zimbabwe's batting order and bundled them out for 184/6 with his terrific three-fer despite Brian Bennett's gutsy 59-ball 97. With this defeat, Zimbabwe's campaign at the T20 World Cup 2026 came to an end. On the other hand, India's win have sealed South Africa's semifinal berth, who earlier thrashed West Indies by nine wickets.
India will now take on West Indies in a do-or-die clash on March 1 while the ousted Zimbabwe will be up against South Africa on the same day. The winner of the India versus West Indies encounter will end up sealing the semifinal spot.
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Brian Bennett's heroic 97 goes in vain
In pursuit of a daunting 257-run target, Zimbabwe began their chase with a measured approach, managing only four runs in the opening over against Arshdeep. Openers Brian Bennett and Tadiwanashe Marumani played with significant caution throughout the powerplay, rarely taking risks while occasionally finding the boundary. Bennett showed glimpses of aggression in the fifth over, hitting Jasprit Bumrah for two fours, while Marumani punctuated the end of the powerplay by launching Varun Chakravarthy for a six. Their steady start left Zimbabwe at 44 for no loss after the first six overs.
The breakthrough for India came shortly after the powerplay when Axar Patel dismissed Marumani for a run-a-ball 20, ending a 44-run opening stand. Despite the loss, Bennett began to accelerate, targeting Axar in the ninth over with two sixes and a four. However, Varun Chakravarthy’s spin soon claimed Dion Myers for just two runs, thanks to a sharp catch by Tilak Varma. By the midpoint of their innings, Zimbabwe had reached 73 for two, facing a rapidly climbing required run rate.
The second half of the innings was headlined by a valiant effort from Brian Bennett, who reached his third half-century of the tournament in 34 balls. Alongside skipper Sikandar Raza, Bennett pushed Zimbabwe past the 100-run mark in the 14th over. The pair intensified their attack in the 15th over, with Bennett plundering 26 runs off Shivam Dube. Their 50-run partnership was completed in just 31 balls, but the momentum shifted back to India when Arshdeep Singh removed Raza for 31 and trapped Ryan Burl LBW in the same over, leaving Zimbabwe at 144 for four.
In the closing stages, Zimbabwe’s lower order struggled to keep pace despite a brief flurry of boundaries from Tony Munyonga. Arshdeep Singh continued his dominant spell by bowling Munyonga for 11, while Shivam Dube claimed the wicket of Tashinga Musekiwa in the final over. Zimbabwe’s chase eventually concluded at 184 for six, 72 runs short of the target. Brian Bennett remained the standout performer, finishing unbeaten on a heroic 97 off 59 balls. Arshdeep Singh was the pick of the Indian bowlers with figures of 3 for 24, supported by a wicket each from Varun, Axar, and Dube.
Abhishek Sharma, Hardik Pandya roar with blistering fifties
Earlier, Abhishek Sharma and Hardik Pandya both hammered blistering fifties to propel India to a massive 256/4 against Zimbabwe. The mammoth 256/4 is now the second-highest team total in the history of the tournament.
For Abhishek, the innings served as a vital redemption. The left-hander had endured a difficult run in the tournament, recording three ducks in his previous four outings, but he found his rhythm in Chennai to strike a 30-ball 55. His foundational knock allowed the middle order to play with freedom, leading to a late-innings explosion spearheaded by Pandya, who finished the innings unbeaten on 50.
The final surge was fueled by a devastating partnership between Pandya and Tilak Varma. Varma played a particularly aggressive cameo, smashing 44 runs off just 16 deliveries, as the pair shared an unbroken 84-run stand. Their clinical finishing allowed India to surpass the previous tournament high of 254-6 set by the West Indies against Zimbabwe just days earlier.
With this total, India has etched its name near the top of the all-time record books. They now sit only behind Sri Lanka, who famously posted 260-6 against Kenya in the inaugural 2007 edition. By falling just four runs short of that long-standing record, India has set a nearly insurmountable target for Zimbabwe to chase.
Although Samson was dismissed for 24 by Blessing Muzarabani shortly after his initial burst, Abhishek Sharma maintained the high scoring rate. Even as Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza introduced spin to the attack in an effort to stem the flow of runs, Sharma remained undeterred. He reached his half-century in just 26 deliveries, anchoring a vital 72-run partnership with Ishan Kishan that kept the pressure firmly on the opposition.
The breakthrough for Zimbabwe finally came when the veteran off-spinner Raza deceived Kishan, who was caught at short third-man for 38. Shortly after, Abhishek's standout innings came to an end when he was caught at long-on off the bowling of Tinotenda Maposa. After Abhishek, Pandya (23-ball 50) and Tilak Varma (16-ball 44) became India's wreckers-in-chief and eventually steered them to a massive total, which was too much for the Chevrons to chase.
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