Team India is all set to lock horns with Zimbabwe in the Super 8 match of the T20 World Cup 2026. The clash is scheduled to be played on Thursday at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
Ahead of the match, former Team India cricketer Anil Kumble has cautioned the “Men in Blue” not to take Zimbabwe lightly. He said that their top four batsmen have been in excellent form, and pacers Blessing Muzarabani and Brad Evans have been outstanding with the ball.
“India need to play their natural, aggressive brand of cricket against Zimbabwe. But Zimbabwe are going to be a tough opponent, and they must be respected. They have delivered some strong performances. They beat Australia. They chased down 179 against Sri Lanka on Sri Lankan soil. They have convincingly beaten Australia. Their top four batters have been in excellent form. Their tall fast bowlers, Blessing Muzarabani and Brad Evans, have been outstanding with the ball, especially in the Powerplay,” he said on JioHotstar.
The former cricketer also stated that players have to deliver individual performances to secure a win.
“India cannot take them lightly. They need to be at the top of their game. Any individual who gets going must make it count. You cannot assume the next batter will do the job. In the T20 World Cup, there are no ifs and buts. You have to go out and deliver as an individual. So yes, you hope for the right result, but India must focus on doing what they need to do,” said Kumble.
It will be interesting to see if Abhishek Sharma manages to deliver a big knock tonight against Zimbabwe.
T20 World Cup 2026, Super 8: India vs Zimbabwe- Full squads
India: Suryakumar Yadav (C), Sanju Samson (WK), Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishan Kishan (WK), Rinku Singh, Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar, Shivam Dube, Abhishek Sharma, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Tilak Varma.
Zimbabwe: Graeme Cremer, Sikandar Raza (C), Ryan Burl, Wellington Masakadza, Richard Ngarava, Dion Myers, Blessing Muzarabani, Tony Munyonga, Brad Evans, Ben Curran, Tadiwanashe Marumani (WK), Tashinga Musekiwa, Clive Madande (WK), Brian Bennett, Tinotenda Maposa.
(With ANI Inputs)
