India delivered a commanding statement in front of a roaring home crowd, overpowering Zimbabwe by 72 runs in their ICC T20 World Cup Super Eight Group 1 clash at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Thursday.
After being put in to bat, the defending champions executed their well-worn template to perfection — pile up a daunting total and squeeze the opposition under scoreboard pressure. India’s imposing 256 for four proved an insurmountable mountain, with Zimbabwe finishing at 184 for six despite a spirited unbeaten 97 from Brian Bennett.
The electric atmosphere in Chennai set the tone early. The crowd erupted for Sanju Samson, the newest Chennai Super Kings recruit, and he responded in style. Alongside Abhishek Sharma, Samson launched a blistering assault. Richard Ngarava and Blessing Muzarabani bore the brunt as Samson attacked fearlessly before falling to a pull shot in the deep. By then, India had raced to 48 in just 3.4 overs.
Abhishek and Ishan Kishan maintained the tempo, stitching together a 72-run stand off 42 balls. Abhishek struck fluently to compile 55, while Kishan survived a reprieve on 26 when Tashinga Musekiwa spilled a chance. The left-hander capitalised with a boundary and a six off Sikandar Raza before eventually edging the spinner.
Suryakumar Yadav added to Zimbabwe’s woes with inventive strokeplay, although he too enjoyed a slice of fortune when dropped on eight. Hardik Pandya then ensured there was no respite, finishing unbeaten on 50 and launching Ryan Burl into the stands. Tilak Varma added further gloss with a flurry of audacious strokes as India tightened their grip.
Zimbabwe’s chase began steadily through openers Bennett and Tadiwanashe Marumani. Axar Patel removed Marumani, but Bennett counterattacked, reaching his half-century with a towering six off Jasprit Bumrah. He punished Shivam Dube in a 26-run over and found brief support from Raza.
Yet India’s bowlers kept striking at key moments. Varun Chakaravarthy dismissed Dion Myers, and Arshdeep Singh’s three-wicket burst effectively sealed the outcome.
Despite Bennett’s lone-warrior effort, India’s towering total and relentless pressure ensured they owned the night in Chennai, reinforcing their credentials as title contenders.
