Brief scores: India (256/4 in 20 ov) beat Zimbabwe (184/6 in 20 ov) by 72 runs in Chennai in a Super 8 match.
IND vs ZIM T20 WORLD CUP 2026: HIGHLIGHTS | SCORECARD
There are moments in a tournament where a player just needs to show up. Not play the innings of their life. Just be there, occupy the crease, and remind everyone why they belong. Against Zimbabwe at Chepauk on Thursday, Abhishek Sharma did exactly that.
He scored 55 off 30 balls as India posted 256 for four, their highest ever total in T20 World Cups. India won by 72 runs and kept their semifinal hopes alive. But the number that mattered most on the night was not on the scoreboard. It was the sight of Abhishek Sharma looking like himself again.
He had been struggling badly coming into this game. Since struggling from a stomach bug, he had registered three ducks in a row. The pressure was building, and the questions were getting louder. But from the very first ball on Thursday, something looked different.
It is a situation India fans have seen before. In the 2024 T20 World Cup final in Barbados, Virat Kohli walked in against South Africa on the back of a tournament to forget. The management kept backing him. And when it mattered most, he delivered.
He held one end, built partnerships, and got to his fifty off 48 balls. It was not flashy. It was exactly what India needed.
A BATTER WHO LISTENED
Abhishek’s innings carried echoes of that Kohli knock in Barbados. He started quietly, pushing his first ball to point for a single. The message from the dressing room was clear. Take your time. Pick your moments.
He did just that. He paired up with Sanju Samson, who was brought back into the side to break the cluster of left-handers at the top. Samson smoked 24 off 15 balls to ease the pressure at the other end. The two put on 48 for the first wicket.
Once Samson departed, Abhishek took charge. He hit Tinotenda Maposa, Brian Bennett and Richard Ngarava for sixes. India reached 80 for one at the end of the powerplay, their second-best of the tournament. Abhishek brought up his fifty off just 26 balls with a single off Sikandar Raza.
Sunil Gavaskar on Star Sports’ post-match show was full of praise. “Throughout the innings, you saw that he was not stepping down the pitch, which he normally tends to do. That showed he recognised that his form was not great, so he was waiting for the bowler to release the ball. After that, he relied on his excellent footwork,” Gavaskar said.
The bat speed was another thing that stood out. Gavaskar noted that Abhishek quickly learnt to control his swing against the slower deliveries. “He was controlling the bat speed in such a way that the connection was sweet and the ball stayed in orbit,” he said.
Zimbabwe did not help themselves. They held back their spinners early, which gave Abhishek the breathing room he needed. His innings ended when he skied a Maposa delivery to Raza in the deep. Out for 55 off 30 balls. Chepauk rose to give him a standing ovation. The crowd had been chanting his name all evening. They knew exactly how much that knock meant.
EVERYTHING ON THE LINE IN KOLKATA
Abhishek set the platform, but India were not done. Hardik Pandya hit an unbeaten 50 off just 23 balls. Tilak Varma, who had been striking at a below-par 118 coming into this game, finished unbeaten on 44 off 16 balls at a strike rate of 275. The two added 84 runs for the fifth wicket. India hit 80 runs in the final five overs alone.
In reply, Zimbabwe managed 184 for six. Brian Bennett made 97 off 59 balls, but it was not enough. Arshdeep Singh led the bowling with three for 24.
India’s net run rate, which had slumped to -3.800 after the South Africa defeat, has now recovered to -0.100. South Africa is through to the semifinals. India and the West Indies will fight it out for the remaining spot at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on March 1.
It is simple. Win and India are through. Lose or face a washout, and they are out. The West Indies currently hold a net run rate of +1.791, which would see them advance if the match is abandoned.
Kohli showed in Barbados that form is temporary. That was when the team needed him; he found a way. Abhishek Sharma will be hoping Thursday in Chennai was his Barbados moment. Kolkata awaits. And this time, he will need to do it all over again.
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