India vs Zimbabwe T20 World Cup 2026: In a do-or-die match, the Indian team displayed a strong batting display and posted a huge total against Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe won the toss and elected to bowl first, but this decision backfired on the Indian batsmen. India scored 256 runs for the loss of four wickets in their allotted 20 overs, setting Zimbabwe a daunting target of 257 runs.
19-Year-Old Record Broken
This is India’s highest total in the T20 World Cup. Previously, Team India had scored 218 runs for four wickets against England in 2007. Now, by scoring 256 runs, India surpassed its 19-year-old record on the global stage.
Abhishek and Samson gave a stormy start
Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma gave the Indian team, who lost the toss and came to bat, an aggressive start. Samson scored 26 runs in 15 balls, while Abhishek played a quick innings of 55 runs in 30 balls. The two shared a 48-run partnership for the first wicket.
Abhishek, who had struggled in the previous few matches, found his rhythm in this match. His innings included four fours and four sixes. He then added 72 runs for the second wicket with Ishan Kishan. Ishan maintained the team’s run rate by scoring 38 runs in 24 balls.
- Abhishek Sharma – 55(30)
- Hardik Pandya – 50*(23)
- Tilak Varma – 44*(16)
- Ishan Kishan – 38(24)
- Suryakumar Yadav – 33(13)
- Sanju Samson – 24(15)
Middle Order Scores Quickly
Captain Suryakumar Yadav also batted aggressively. He scored 33 runs in just 13 balls, including three fours and two sixes. After his dismissal in the 15th over, the Indian innings gained further momentum.
Hardik-Tilak’s Explosive Partnership
Hardik Pandya and Tilak Verma took the Zimbabwean bowlers to task in the final overs. The two shared an unbroken 84-run partnership for the fifth wicket. Hardik scored an unbeaten 50 off 23 balls, including two fours and four sixes. Tilak Varma smashed 44 off 14 balls, including three fours and four sixes.
This aggressive batting by the Indian team turned the match into a complete one-sided affair and set Zimbabwe a very difficult target to achieve.