India kept their T20 World Cup 2026 dreams alive with a clinical 72-run victory over Zimbabwe today at the Chepauk Stadium in Chennai.
In a high-stakes Super Eight encounter, the Men in Blue proved why they are tournament favorites by posting a massive total of 256/4 , the highest score India has ever recorded in the history of the T20 World Cup.
This win was essential for India to stay in the race for the semi-finals, and they delivered under pressure in front of a packed home crowd.
The innings began with a much-needed return to form for Abhishek Sharma, who played a fearless brand of cricket to score 55 runs off just 30 balls.
However, the real damage was done in the death overs by Hardik Pandya and Tilak Varma. The duo put on an incredible display of power hitting, adding 84 runs in a lightning-fast partnership. Hardik reached his half-century in just 23 deliveries, while Tilak smashed an unbeaten 44 off 16 balls, leaving the Zimbabwean bowlers with no place to hide.
Chasing a target of 257 was always going to be a mountain too high for Zimbabwe, but they didn’t go down without a fight.
Their 22-year-old rising star, Brian Bennett, played the innings of a lifetime. Standing as a lone warrior, Bennett smashed boundaries all over the park to finish on an unbeaten 97.
It was a heartbreaking end for the youngster, who hit a four on the final ball but fell just three runs short of a historic century.
India’s bowling attack, led by Arshdeep Singh’s three wickets, remained disciplined enough to restrict Zimbabwe to 184/6.With this dominant performance, India now faces a “do-or-die” match against the West Indies this Sunday.
The winner of that clash will likely secure a spot in the semi-finals alongside South Africa. For India, the momentum from this record-breaking win couldn’t have come at a better time.
