India answered their critics in emphatic fashion, crushing Zimbabwe by 72 runs to keep their T20 World Cup semi-final hopes firmly alive and transform Sunday’s clash at Eden Gardens into a virtual quarter-final.
After the heavy Super Eights defeat to South Africa, India arrived in Chennai under pressure. Questions were swirling — about combinations, roles, intent and temperament. What followed was the kind of response elite teams pride themselves on: fearless batting, record-breaking hitting, and a reminder that writing off this side after one poor outing was premature.
India posted their highest-ever total at a T20 World Cup, powered by a collective statement from the batting unit. Every batter struck at a rate above 150 — even Ishan Kishan’s 158 was the “lowest” among the top six — as India smashed 17 sixes, their most in a World Cup innings.
The standout narrative belonged to Abhishek Sharma. Coming into the game with five ducks in 2026 and enduring a difficult first World Cup, he looked like a batter reborn. His 26-ball 50 was not built on reinvention but on rediscovery. He backed the same fearless method that fetched him over 850 runs last year at a strike rate of 193. The timing returned, the conviction returned — and with it, India’s early momentum.
Sanju Samson, reinstated as opener, played his familiar role: brisk, eye-catching, impactful — 24 off 15 with a couple of clean sixes. His starts consistently give India thrust, but the challenge remains converting cameos into substantial contributions.
Kishan, back at No. 3, delivered a purposeful 38 off 24, keeping the pressure on Zimbabwe through innovative stroke play. The right-left opening combination appears to offer balance; whether Ishan continues at three is a tactical call worth persisting with.
Suryakumar Yadav, under scrutiny after the previous loss, counter-attacked with 33 off 13 to ensure no dip in tempo. Hardik Pandya, India’s designated X-factor, followed with a 23-ball unbeaten 50 — authoritative, clean, and timely. When Pandya finishes like this, India’s ceiling rises dramatically.
Then came perhaps the most intriguing subplot: Tilak Varma at No. 6. After struggling earlier in the tournament at No. 3, often exposed to spin soon after the powerplay, Tilak looked liberated lower down. Against pace, with license to attack, he blasted 44 not out off 16 balls at a strike rate of 275, launching four sixes in a devastating cameo. It raises a compelling question — have India, through trial and error, finally unlocked his optimal role?
The 72-run margin was commanding in T20 terms, but India’s performance wasn’t flawless. Suryakumar chose not to complete the quotas of Jasprit Bumrah or Hardik Pandya, instead handing two overs to Shivam Dube, who was taken for 46 runs off 12 balls. Against stronger opposition, such generosity could prove costly.
While the result was never in doubt, game management at the back end will need sharper judgement in knockout-calibre contests. India cannot afford experimentation with control when momentum is firmly in hand.
Overall, this was the assertive display India needed — late in the tournament perhaps, but emphatic nonetheless. The batters recalibrated their approach, roles looked clearer, and the intent was unmistakable.
One loss does not define a campaign. Chennai was proof of that.
Now comes Eden Gardens — a virtual quarter-final, a sterner test, and an opportunity to demonstrate that this resurgence is not a one-off reaction, but the beginning of a sustained push toward the semi-finals.
