India vs Zimbabwe T20 World Cup HIGHLIGHTS: India beat Zimbabwe by 72 runs in their Super 8 fixture at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai to keep their semi-final hopes alive.
ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, 2026
India
256/4 (20.0)
Zimbabwe
184/6 (20.0)
Match Ended ( Day – Super 8 – Match 8 )
India beat Zimbabwe by 72 runs
South Africa had earlier defeated West Indies in their faceoff. A Proteas win has benefited India as they now have to focus on winning and not so much on the margin of their victory with South Africa already through to the final and yet to play Zimbabwe against whom they will start as overwhelming favourites.
T20 World Cup 2026 Updated points table after India beat Zimbabwe
Talking about the India-Zimbabwe match, the Men in Blue posted their highest T20 World Cup total, smashing 256/4 in 20 overs. Abhishek Sharma top scored with 55 runs, his first signinifant knock this tournament after struggling for runs earlier in the tournament. Tilak Varma, who came in lower down the order managed 44* off 16 while Hardik Pandya scored 50* off 23.
Arshdeep Singh scalps 3 wickets
Arshdeep Singh shone with the ball in the second innings, scalping 3 wickets for 24 runs in his 4 overs. Varun Chakaravarthy, Axar Patel and Shivam Dube chipped in with a wicket each.
India vs Zimbabwe: Big talking point
Probably the biggest talking point ahead of the match was around India’s opening stand which averaged 6.80 in this World Cup, before this match. That meant Sanju Samson who also offered a right-handed batting option at the top in a left-handed heavy batting lineup, got a chance. He also kept wickets ahead of Kishan and looked good while chipping in 24 runs with the bat.
India vs Zimbabwe: Playing XIs
India: Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah
Zimbabwe: Tadiwanashe Marumani (w), Brian Bennett, Dion Myers, Ryan Burl, Sikandar Raza (c), Tony Munyonga, Tashinga Musekiwa, Brad Evans, Tinotenda Maposa, Blessing Muzarabani, Richard Ngarava
India vs Zimbabwe ICC T20 World Cup 2026 Live Scorecard: Here is our coverage recap
India vs Zimbabwe LIVE SCORE: Hardik Pandya bags the Player of the Match award
Hardik Pandya bagged the Player of the Match award for his unbeaten 50. He also bowled 3 overs, although he did not get a wicket.
India vs Zimbabwe LIVE SCORE: India beat Zimbabwe by 72 runs
India beat Zimbabwe by 72 runs! That's it, that's the game! India beat Zimbabwe by 72 runs.
India vs Zimbabwe LIVE SCORE: Dube gets a wicket after a horror run with the ball
Dube gets a wicket after a horror run with the ball. He conceded 26 runs off his first over, he has bowled 5 no balls this tournament but this time he induces an edge and a good catch by a diving Samson. Musekiwa falls.
India vs Zimbabwe LIVE SCORE: Formalities remain with Zimbabwe needing 93 runs in 6 balls
Zimbabwe need 93 runs in 6 balls. Match in the pocket for the Men in Blue.
Dube's first over goes for 26. SIX, FOUR, FOUR, wide, no ball, all drama in that over before the last ball free hit also SAIled for SIX! Zimbabwe still need 126 runs from 30b balls. Brian Bennett 78=* off (48b 6x4 5x6), Sikandar Raza- 19* off 14.
India vs Zimbabwe LIVE SCORE: Zimbabwe need 136 runs in 32 balls.
Despite the boundaries, Zimbabawe are way behind the asking rate , it's that kind of a situation at the moment.
India vs Zimbabwe LIVE SCORE: Half-century for Brian Bennett!
Bennett smashes a SIX against Bumrah to bring up his fifty. Over long on. Special shot considering it came against someone like Bumrah.
India vs Zimbabwe LIVE SCORE: 9.3 | OUT!
Varun Chakaravarthy strikes, and that’s a simple take in the deep. He tosses up the googly, tempting Dion Myers into the big shot. Myers advances and looks to swipe across the line, but fails to get hold of it cleanly.
The ball goes high rather than far, hanging in the night sky. Tilak Varma charges in from deep mid-wicket, keeps his eyes locked on it, and completes a well-judged catch with ease.
Another breakthrough for India as the pressure builds.
Dion Myers c Tilak Varma b Varun Chakaravarthy 6 (9)
India vs Zimbabwe LIVE SCORE: WICKET! Axar Patel gets the first breakthrough for India
6.2 | WICKET!
Axar Patel makes an immediate impact! After surviving a reprieve earlier, Tadiwanashe Marumani fails to make it count. Axar fires in a flat delivery on a good length outside off, and Marumani rocks back looking to cut. He gets height but not control — the ball flies off the outside edge and doesn’t stay down.
Ishan Kishan, stationed at cover-point, reacts sharply and reverse-cups it safely near his face. Clean take under pressure.
Axar strikes with just his second ball!
Tadiwanashe Marumani c Ishan Kishan b Axar Patel 20 (20) [2x6]
India vs Zimbabwe LIVE SCORE: Varun Chakaravarthy rounds off the powerplay! Rinku Singh drops a catch
Tadiwanashe Marumani smashes a SIX first ball of the Chakaravarthy's first ball before being dropped by Rinku Singh later in the over.
India vs Zimbabwe LIVE SCORE: 4 overs, 25 runs, 0 wickets
Zimbabwe reach 25/0 after 4 overs. Brian Bennett- 13* off 11, Tadiwanashe Marumani- 11* off 13. Hardik Pandya, 2 overs for 12 so far after his heroics with the bat.
India vs Zimbabwe LIVE SCORE: Past mid off for FOUR!
Bennett places this past mid off for a boundary. Not quite of the middle of the bat but enough to beat mid off and go for a FOUR. ZIM- 19/0 after 3 overs. Brian Bennett- 8* off 7, Tadiwanashe Marumani- 10* off 11.
India vs Zimbabwe LIVE SCORE: ZIM- 10/0 after 2 overs
ZIM- 10/0 after 2 overs. Tadiwanashe Marumani- 7* off 7, Brian Bennett- 3* off 5.
India vs Zimbabwe LIVE SCORE: Top edge for SIX!!
Not quite from the middle of the bat for Marumani. But the edge flies of the bat against Hardik's first ball and goes all the way for a SIX. Top shot.
India vs Zimbabwe LIVE SCORE: Good start from Arshdeep!
Arshdeep with a tight first over. Just 4 runs. ZIM- 4/0 after the first over. Brian Bennett- 3* off 5, Tadiwanashe Marumani- 1* off 1.
India vs Zimbabwe LIVE SCORE: We are back with the chase!
Brian Bennett and Tadiwanashe Marumani open for Zimbabwe. Arshdeep starts for India.
India vs Zimbabwe LIVE SCORE: Abhishek Sharma spoke to the broadcasters in the mid-innings break
"It’s always great, you know, when you contribute for the team. And I was waiting for this moment for quite a long time now, so finally it’s happening. I’m really happy. I would say it wasn’t that intentional (talking about slowing down), but I just wanted to, you know, spend some time at the pitch because if you see, I haven’t even played 10-12 balls in the whole tournament yet," Abhishek said.
"So I just wanted to spend some time and a special mention to the team, the way they’ve treated me so far. It was like at the end, you wouldn’t feel that I wasn’t scoring runs for the team. And I mean, in the practice sessions as well, in the hotels as well, they all were just waiting for this moment and they all were just, you know, reminding me that, you know, you have done this before as well and your time is not so far," he added.
"You just keep believing. So that’s happened. Of course (whether it felt like a video game towards the end), I mean, the way they have finished the innings, I feel the intent is back, the way they wanted, the way we have played the whole year. I mean, that was the plan we decided yesterday as well as a batting unit that if we feel that we have faced enough balls or maybe we have seen enough balls, just go out and express yourself," he further said.
"I mean, it wasn’t, you know, going so far that well, but you know, that was the plan we had yesterday and the day before as well at the practice sessions. As a batter, as a batting unit, we have to go and express ourselves. That’s how we were playing the whole year and that’s how we’re going to back each other."
India vs Zimbabwe LIVE SCORE: And a six to end the innings! Hardik completes a fifty!
And a six to end the innings! Hardik completes a fifty! Wow! Hardik- 50* off 23. India- 256/4 after 20 overs. Tilak Varma unbeaten on 44* off 16. This is a strong finish from India.
India vs Zimbabwe LIVE SCORE: Hardik's SIX brings up 250
Hardik's SIX brings up 250. Straight down the ground against Evans to get to 250.
India vs Zimbabwe LIVE SCORE: 19 runs off the 18th over, 21 runs off the 19th over
19 runs off the 18th over, 21 runs off the 19th over. Some brilliant late order batting from Hardik and Tilak and India are past 240 in the final over. Can they get past 250?
India vs Zimbabwe LIVE SCORE: Tilak with his second boundary of the innings in that Muzarabani over
Tilak finds another boundary in Muzarbani's third over. 11 runs coming off the 16th over. IND- 187/4 after 16 overs. Tilak Varma- 11* off 4. Hardik Pandya- 16* off 11. Muzarabani's 3 overs going for 24 runs.
India vs Zimbabwe LIVE SCORE: Tilak hits a first ball FOUR!!
And now Tilak hits a first-ball boundary. Tilak who was coming one down now has the job at number but a short and wide ball from Ngarava gets the treatment it deserved from the batter. FOUR on the off side from Tilak. IND- 172/4 in 14.5 overs.
India vs Zimbabwe LIVE SCORE: WHACK! What a SIX! But Suryakumar falls shortly after
Suryakumar Yadav with a BIG SIX over midwicket against Ngarava before he mistimes one and gets caught. India- 172/4 in 14.5 overs. Tilak Varma spotted coming in.
India vs Zimbabwe LIVE SCORE: Hardik with a STRAIGHT SIX!
Hardik makes his intentions clear. He smashes a SIX againsg Burl bowling his first over. With the help of that SIX, India fetch 10 runs off the 14th over. They are 161/3 after 14 overs. Hardik Pandya- 9* off 6, Suryakumar- 25* off 10.
India vs Zimbabwe LIVE SCORE: Hardik joins Suryakumar
Hardik joins Suryakumar. What a batting order this is and after a rare off day, they are back dominating the bowlers in this game.
Maposa strikes after conceding another boundary. Abhishek's innings comes to an end on 55 off 30. The slower ball does the trick again as Raza takes the catch at long on.
India vs Zimbabwe LIVE SCORE: FOUR, SIX from Suryakumar! This is a run feast for fans!
FOUR AND SIX! Suryakumar knows they have batting depth to follow. He is not trying to play it safe here. Goes hard against Maposa who had gone for 23 runs in his first over.
It's Suryakumar Yadav who gets a lifeline. He plays that pick up shot straight to fielder at fine leg against Brad Evans but Muzarabani drops it and the ball goes for FOUR instead.
India- 134/2 after 12 overs. Suryakumar Yadav- 13* off 6, Abhishek Sharma- 51* off 28.
India vs Zimbabwe LIVE SCORE: Suryakumar Yadav with a boundary first ball!
First ball of the innings for Suryakumar Yadav and he sweeps it past short fine to find a boundary. India get 16 runs off the 11th over. They are 125/2 after 11 overs. Suryakumar Yadav- 5* off 2, Abhishek Sharma- 50* off 26.
India vs Zimbabwe LIVE SCORE: FOUR, SIX, OUT!
Eventful over from Sikandar Raza. First Abhishek's fifty then a FOUR AND A SIX off the very next two balls off the bat of Kishan before the Jharkhand batter departs for 38 off 24. He cut that ball straight to point. IND- 120/2 in 10.4 overs.