India Crush Zimbabwe by 72 Runs in Chennai

India produced a batting masterclass to secure a commanding 72-run victory over Zimbabwe in their Super Eight encounter of the T20 World Cup at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. The win strengthened India’s position in the tournament, leaving them in a strong spot for the semifinals.

Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza won the toss and opted to bowl first, hoping to exploit early movement. However, the decision backfired as India posted a massive 256 for 4 in their 20 overs. India made two changes to their playing XI, bringing in Sanju Samson and Axar Patel in place of Rinku Singh and Washington Sundar. Samson contributed 24 runs off 15 balls.

In the second wicket partnership, Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan added 72 runs in 42 deliveries. Kishan scored 38 off 24 balls, setting the tone for a big total. After three successive ducks, Abhishek Sharma made a strong comeback, scoring a fluent 55 off 30 balls, including four boundaries and four sixes.

Suryakumar Yadav accelerated the innings further with a quick 33 off just 13 balls. The final assault came from Hardik Pandya and Tilak Varma, who added 84 runs in only 31 balls for the fifth wicket. Pandya remained unbeaten on 50 off 23 balls, hitting four sixes and two fours, while Tilak smashed an unbeaten 44 off 16 deliveries. Zimbabwe’s bowlers shared four wickets among them but were unable to control the flow of runs.

Chasing 257, Zimbabwe managed 184 for 6 in their 20 overs. Opener Brian Bennett led the fight with an impressive 97 not out off 59 balls, including eight fours and six sixes. He added 72 runs for the third wicket with Sikandar Raza, but the target proved too steep.

Arshdeep Singh starred with the ball for India, taking 3 wickets for 24 runs. Three other Indian bowlers took one wicket each.

The defeat eliminated Zimbabwe from the tournament, while South Africa advanced to the semifinals. India’s next match will be against the West Indies at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, while Zimbabwe will face South Africa in Delhi.