Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium hosted high drama at the toss for the India-Zimbabwe Super 8 encounter. Zimbabwe skipper Sikandar Raza called correctly and chose to field, banking on early swing and seam movement in humid conditions.
The hosts responded with a revamped XI, swapping Axar Patel for Washington Sundar and Rinku Singh for the returning Sanju Samson, who takes gloves. Zimbabwe made one tweak, slotting in Tinotenda Maposa for Kramer to sharpen their pace options.
Raza was candid: ‘Moisture on the pitch favors our bowlers. We want to hit India early and keep them under wraps. Both teams face the same sapping heat—it’s about execution.’
Suryakumar Yadav shrugged off the toss loss: ‘We wanted to bat anyway. Shake off the previous defeat, play your natural game, and have fun out there. Fearless cricket is our mantra.’
Context is key: South Africa’s crushing 9-wicket thrashing of West Indies has opened doors for India. Currently third with NRR -3.800 after one loss, India can cruise to the semis with wins in their remaining games. Leaders South Africa boast +2.890, West Indies +1.791, and Zimbabwe trail at -5.350.
Full squads: India – Samson (wk), Sharma, Kishan, SKY (c), Varma, Pandya, Dube, Sundar, Arshdeep, Chakaravarthy, Bumrah. Zimbabwe – Marumani (wk), Bennett, Myers, Burl, Raza (c), Munyonga, Musakanda, Evans, Maposa, Muzarabani, Ngarava.
With Bumrah and co. lurking in the chase, Zimbabwe’s gamble could backfire if India posts big. Expect a tactical chess match as Super 8 stakes rise.