In a breathtaking display of batting firepower, Team India rewrote the record books at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. Facing Zimbabwe in a crucial Super-8 clash of the T20 World Cup 2026, India stormed to 80 runs for just one wicket in the powerplay overs on Thursday. This explosive start marks the highest powerplay total ever against Zimbabwe in T20 World Cup history.
Losing the toss and batting first didn’t faze the Men in Blue. Openers Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma set the tone with a blistering 48-run partnership in just 3.4 overs. Samson fell for 24 off 15 balls, laced with two sixes and a four, but Ishan Kishan took up the mantle seamlessly.
Kishan and Sharma then forged a formidable 72-run stand, pushing India past the milestone. Kishan departed after a quickfire 38, while Sharma remained not out on a magnificent 55 from 30 deliveries. This powerplay haul ranks as India’s third-highest in T20 World Cup history, trailing only their 86 against Namibia and 82 versus Scotland.
Captain Suryakumar Yadav’s side made strategic tweaks, bringing in Axar Patel for Washington Sundar and recalling Sanju Samson over Rinku Singh. The lineup featured Samson (wk), Sharma, Kishan, Yadav (c), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, and Jasprit Bumrah.
Zimbabwe, led by Sikandar Raza, countered with Tinotenda Maposa replacing Kramer. Their XI included Tadiwanashe Marumani (wk), Brian Bennett, Dion Myers, Ryan Burl, Tony Munyonga, Tashinga Muskiewa, Brad Evans, Maposa, Blessing Muzarabani, and Richard Ngarava.
India’s aggressive approach signals their dominance in the tournament, setting a daunting platform for the chase. As the match unfolds, fans are buzzing with excitement over this historic outing.