नवीनतम
India face Zimbabwe in must-win clash
NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: India are set to lock horns with Zimbabwe in what is a must-win encounter, in the T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8 on 26 February. For both teams, this match is an absolute must-win after they went down to South Africa and the West Indies by big margins in their respective opening matches of the Super 8 round.
The Men in Blue find themselves in uncharted territory after the 76-run loss to the Proteas in a rematch of last edition's final. The defeat was also India's first in ICC tournaments since the 2023 ODI World Cup final loss to Australia, coincidentally at the same venue- Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Zimbabwe, much like India, started the Super 8 round with a loss to the West Indies. Both teams have suffered blows in terms of their Net Run Rate (NRR), with India's NRR reading -3.800 and Zimbabwe having -5.350.
There will also be focus on India's team selection with changes likely to take place. Sanju Samson might be included just to break the pattern of having three left-handers at the top of the order. Axar Patel might also be brought back for this crucial game.
India's assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate and batting coach Sitanshu Kotak hinted at Samson's return to the playing XI for this match. Also, the bowling attack might also witness changes as the Chepauk track is likely to assist spin.
India and Zimbabwe have faced each other 13 times in T20Is so far. And India, on expected lines, dominate this head-to-head rivalry with 10 wins. Zimbabwe have three wins. The two teams have had just one match in the T20 World Cup, where India came out on top by 71 runs.
