CHENNAI – In the aftermath of a crushing 72-run defeat to India in the T20 World Cup 2026 Super-8 clash, Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza didn’t mince words. Speaking at MA Chidambaram Stadium, he pinpointed his team’s over-aggression and lack of bowling consistency as key culprits behind the loss.
India set a daunting target of 256 for 4 after electing to bat first, powered by a clinical batting display. Zimbabwe, chasing the mammoth total, crumbled to 184 for 6 in 20 overs, handing India a comprehensive victory.
Raza, ever the optimist, started on a positive note. ‘I’m someone who always looks at the positives,’ he said. ‘The biggest takeaway from this game is our batting showed no panic or haste like in the previous match against West Indies when chasing 250. I always say you can’t win a match in the first six overs, but you can certainly lose it, especially against a big target. Today, our boys were much more composed in the powerplay, giving themselves a real chance. That composure gives me great encouragement.’
Turning to the bowling, Raza was candid. ‘We could have executed our defensive plans a bit better. We got too aggressive, and there was no consistency in our bowling. It was a mixed bag from our bowlers, which allowed India to run away with the scoring. Once the run rate builds momentum, it’s tough to pull back. Had we stuck to our lengths better, we might have restricted them to 210-220, and from there, anything could have happened.’
Reflecting on the overall performance, Raza noted, ‘Our batting was decent, but we need to improve in bowling and fielding. The last game taught us how to chase big totals, and we applied those lessons today. We’re still a work in progress with many young players on their first World Cup, especially in India. That’s not an excuse, but our batting showed quick learning. These boys are eager to improve.’
With two Super-8 losses, Zimbabwe’s semifinal hopes are dashed. They face South Africa in their final group game on March 1. ‘The result will take care of itself,’ Raza said. ‘I want to see better performances, especially in fielding and bowling. Hopefully, our batting keeps trending up. If we can integrate batting, bowling, and fielding like we did in the qualifiers, we have the best shot at wins. In World Cups against top teams, all three departments must click. We’re hoping to go all out in the last match and show better synergy.’