Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium witnessed batting history on Thursday as India demolished Zimbabwe’s bowling attack to post 256 for 4 in the T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8 encounter. Tasked with chasing 257, Zimbabwe face an uphill battle, while India eyes a crucial win to storm into the knockouts.
India’s openers Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson set the tone with a 48-run powerplay blitz in 3.4 overs. Samson perished for 24 (15 balls, 2×6, 1×4), handing the baton to Ishan Kishan, who joined Abhishek for a 72-run alliance off 42 balls. Kishan’s aggressive 38 (24 balls, 5×4) injected momentum.
Captain Suryakumar Yadav then arrived, contributing 33 off 13 (5 boundaries) in a 30-run stand with Abhishek, who reached his fifty before falling for 55 (30 balls, 4×6, 4×4). The match-winning partnership unfolded as Tilak Varma and Hardik Pandya unleashed havoc, piling on 84 unbeaten runs in 31 balls.
Pandya’s unbeaten half-century (50 off 23, 4×6, 2×4) and Varma’s 44* (16 balls, 4×6, 3×4) propelled India to their highest T20 World Cup score ever, bettering the 218 against England from 2007. This clinical display underscores India’s batting depth and firepower. As Zimbabwe strap on their pads, the pressure is squarely on them to produce a miracle chase.