In a match that will haunt him forever, Zimbabwe pacer Tinotenda Maposa etched his name into T20 World Cup infamy during his debut against India on Thursday. At the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, India demolished Zimbabwe by 72 runs, but it was Maposa’s catastrophic first over that stole the headlines.
India, batting first after losing the toss, unleashed a batting blitz, posting a mammoth 256/4 in 20 overs. Abhishek Sharma’s 55 off 30 balls set the tone, Hardik Pandya’s explosive 50 off 23 balls ignited the middle order, and Tilak Varma’s blistering 44 off 16 balls provided the perfect finish. But Maposa’s ordeal began early in his spell.
In the third over of the innings, Maposa leaked 23 runs. Sanju Samson tore into him mercilessly, smashing a six and two fours. To compound the disaster, Maposa bowled a no-ball and two wides, turning what should have been a tight over into a nightmare. This performance now ranks as the second-most expensive over in T20 World Cup history on debut, behind only Steve Tikolo’s 25-run disaster against Sri Lanka in 2007.
Chasing 257, Zimbabwe crumbled to 184/6. Brian Bennett fought valiantly with 97 off 59 balls, but lacked support. India’s bowlers struck back led by Arshdeep Singh’s 3/24. Varun Chakravarthy and Axar Patel chipped in with one wicket each.
Maposa’s debut will be remembered more for embarrassment than effort. For India, it was another dominant display in the 2026 T20 World Cup, signaling their intent as favorites.