NEW DELHI: India’s T20 World Cup campaign roared back to life in emphatic fashion as they crushed Zimbabwe by 72 runs in a virtual knockout, a performance that earned glowing praise from batting legend Sachin Tendulkar. Hailing the team’s character under pressure, Tendulkar declared that “must-win games reveal temperament” after India piled up their highest-ever total in T20 World Cup history.
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Reeling from a crushing 76-run defeat to South Africa in Ahmedabad that left their net run rate in tatters, India responded with authority. Asked to bat first, they unleashed their most fearless brand of cricket, racing to 256/4 in 20 overs — the highest total of this edition. It was not about one monumental individual score, but collective intent. Every batter in the top order struck at over 150, marking the first instance of the top six scoring 20-plus at such a rate in a T20 World Cup innings.
In a post on X, Tendulkar wrote: “Must-win games reveal temperament. 256 revealed plenty! Highest total of this T20 World Cup, and what stood out was the intent throughout the game today. Well played, India, take this rhythm into the next game. Congratulations to Zimbabwe as well on a great tournament!”
Half-centuries from Abhishek Sharma (55 off 30) and Hardik Pandya (50 not out off 23), along with Tilak Varma’s blazing unbeaten 44 off 16, powered India’s assault.
Zimbabwe fought bravely in reply, finishing at 184/6. Brian Bennett dazzled with an unbeaten 97 off 59, while Sikandar Raza chipped in with 31. Arshdeep Singh (3/24) led India’s bowling effort.
Skipper Suryakumar Yadav admitted the bowling could have been “a little more clinical” but lauded the batting display as “heartening.” He revealed the team consciously blocked out the noise after the South Africa loss, drawing confidence from a season-long performance review prepared by the analysts.
With a decisive clash against West Indies looming in Kolkata, India have rediscovered belief — and as Tendulkar noted, their temperament when it mattered most.
Get the latest ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 updates, including the full schedule, teams, live scores, points table, and key series stats such as top run-scorers and wicket-takers.
