India beat Zimbabwe by 72 runs to chase T20 World Cup semifinal spot | ICC Men’s T20 World Cup News
India Defeats Zimbabwe in High-Scoring T20 World Cup Match
CHENNAI — India secured a crucial victory in the T20 World Cup, defeating Zimbabwe by 72 runs in a Super Eight match held at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Thursday. This win keeps India’s hopes alive for a spot in the semifinals, leading to a pivotal upcoming match against the West Indies.
The defending champions set a formidable target of 257 runs. Despite a spirited effort from Zimbabwe, which tallied 184 for six, they could not overcome the challenge posed by the Indian bowlers.
Zimbabwe’s opener, Brian Bennett, was the standout performer, scoring 97 not out. His innings, however, fell short of guiding his team to an upset victory.
For India, pace bowler Arshdeep Singh was particularly effective, taking three wickets for 24 runs in four overs. Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya were also noteworthy for their economical bowling, both yielding only 21 runs in three overs despite failing to take a wicket. Varun Chakravarthy, Axar Patel, and Shivam Dube each contributed with one wicket.
India’s batting innings featured a significant comeback for Sanju Samson, who hit a six on the second ball and scored 24 runs off 15 deliveries. Opener Abhishek Sharma, who had been underperforming, regained form with a top score of 55 off 30 balls, including four fours and four sixes.
“I want to thank my teammates and support staff for having faith in me,” Sharma said after the match. “They told me, ‘You’ve done this before.'”
Pandya made a substantial impact at the end of the innings, scoring 50 runs off just 23 balls, helping India surpass the 250-mark. His partnership with Tilak Varma included an impressive 84-run collaboration, marked by eight sixes and five fours.
As a result of this match, India’s position in Group 1 remains unchanged, but they will need to win against the West Indies on Sunday evening in Kolkata to secure a semifinal berth.
Meanwhile, South Africa has already qualified for the semifinals following their nine-wicket victory over the West Indies earlier in the day. They will face Zimbabwe in their final Group 1 match in New Delhi on Sunday.
