IND vs ZIM T20 World Cup 2026 Live: India won by 72 runs, one step away to Semi-Finals

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Abhishek Sharma finally rediscovered his form after a nightmare run of scores: 0, 0, 0 and 15 in his previous four innings. The young left-hander showed great maturity and composure to steady the innings after Sanju Samson fell early.

He did not take the first strike, letting Sanju face the opening ball – a smart tactical decision after repeated early powerplay dismissals. Abhishek played with calm control, judged lengths well, and punished loose balls. He built two important partnerships: 48 runs with Sanju Samson (24 off 15) and a crucial 72 off 42 balls with Ishan Kishan (34 off 24 balls, 4 fours, 1 six).

Abhishek scored 55 off 30 balls with 4 fours and 4 sixes. His innings gave India a strong platform on a pitch that offered turn but was good for batting.

Hardik Pandya once again showed why he is one of the best finishers in the world. Coming in when India needed acceleration, Hardik smashed an unbeaten 50 off 23 balls (2 fours, 4 sixes). He used the long handle to great effect, clearing the ropes with ease and taking pressure off the other batters. His innings helped India plunder 80 runs in the last five overs, turning a good total into a massive one.

𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐤 𝐏𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐲𝐚. 🤌

A breathtaking burst at the death by him, powered #TeamIndia past 250 with authority! 🙌

ICC Men’s #T20WorldCup 👉 SUPER 8, #INDvZIM | LIVE NOW ➡️ https://t.co/vIdZg7mGmy pic.twitter.com/LazrvENuz8

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) February 26, 2026

India won by 72 runs.

India’s innings concludes at 256 for 4 after 20 overs, maintaining a strong run rate of 12.8. Despite losing wickets, they posted a competitive total with some strong hitting.

Abhishek Sharma raises his half-century off 26 balls with a flick to deep mid-wicket, drawing a massive roar from the crowd. The young opener continues his explosive form, giving India a strong platform in the contest.

Six overs have passed, and the game is moving at a decent pace. India are 80/1.

Big blow for India as star player Sanju Samson departs for 24 off 15 balls, caught by Ryan Burl off Blessing Muzarabani. IND are 49/1 after 4 overs.

India race ahead in the Powerplay as Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson take on Muzarabani, finding regular boundaries. The openers are scoring freely and keeping the run rate well above eight an over in the early stages. IND are 46/0 after 3 overs.

Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma have come out to continue the innings for India. Richard Ngarava is ready with the bowl.

Tadiwanashe Marumani(w), Brian Bennett, Dion Myers, Ryan Burl, Sikandar Raza(c), Tony Munyonga, Tashinga Musekiwa, Brad Evans, Tinotenda Maposa, Blessing Muzarabani, Richard Ngarava

Sanju Samson(w), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah

Axar Patel comes in for Washington Sundar and Sanju Samson replaces Rinku Singh.

“Happy with the decision, were looking to bat first. Boys are ready. Mood in the camp is relaxed. The way he spoke in the huddle (Hardik), experienced player, he knows what he brings to the table. Team required that and I think we’ll have a good day tonight. Even if you win or lose, you learn something out of it. Just forget what happened in the last game. Two changes: Axar comes in for Washington, Samson comes in for Rinku,” Suryakumar said.

“We’re going to have a bowl. Not your usual Chennai wicket. Looks moist, want to give the best chance to the seamers. If we can restrict India to a low total, will go a long way. As much as we’re feeling the heat, our opposition will be feeling the same. It’s holding on alright. One tactical change, Cremer misses out,” Raza said.

Zimbabwe won the toss and decided to bowl first.

“There is a nice cool breeze coming across my shoulder, which is probably the coolest conditions you get in Chennai at this time of the year. The wicket is smack bang in the middle, so from a dimensions perspective it is even square — 67 metres on both sides — and a good 77 metres straight down the ground. Players don’t really care about the boundary rope, though; they just look for the stands. It’s a black soil pitch with enough in it for the bowlers to work with in terms of slowness. It’s not the green tinge we saw in the previous game between Afghanistan and New Zealand, but the batters are still going to have a good time and will be happy with the kind of score they put up. What has really worked here are slower balls. If the fast bowlers give it good revs into the pitch, it tends to grip and stop on the batter. With the square boundaries being quite big, it gives them plenty of room to work with. Ideally, if you don’t get above 170, you’ll be struggling because this pitch has been excellent for batting and one of the higher-scoring surfaces in this World Cup so far. It’s a must-win clash for both sides, and it will be fascinating to see who comes out on top,” Katey Martin and Dinesh Karthik said.

Read: IND vs ZIM, T20 World Cup 2026: How big a win India needs against Zimbabwe to stay in Semi-Final race

Hello, good evening and welcome to CricketCountry’s live coverage of the T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8 between India and Zimbabwe.

Srijal Upadhyay this side ready to bring you live updates of the game.