India looked like having found their rhythm back when they thrashed Zimbabwe by 72 runs in a Super Eight match in Chennai on Thursday. Hardik Pandya played a key part by scoring an unbeaten 23-ball 50 and bowled three overs by conceding only 21 runs to walk away with the Player of the Match award.
“Pretty happy. It sounds 23-ball-50, but I think I had to reassess the situation as well. I felt I was trying to hit too hard. And just in the game, I realised, I think I can time the ball and hit sixes as well. It was a good game to continue the rhythm because I feel a couple of games I had, I could not do what I wanted to do,” Pandya said during the post-match presentation.
Batting first, India’s top-order fired in unison for the first time in the T20 World Cup 2026, with openers Sanju samson and Abhishek Sharma adding 48 runs for the first wickets. The Ishan Kishan struck a quick 38 off 24 balls. Suryakumar Yadav (33 off 13 balls) and Abhishek (55 off 30 balls) also batted well. Tilak Varma (44 not out off 16 balls), along with Pandya powered India’s score past 250.
When asked if the team was following the South Africa vs West Indies game earlier, Pandya said: “Obviously, we all were keeping an eye. Now it’s all about playing good cricket, backing your skill set, absorbing the pressure, and making sure that you put the best foot forward. So yeah, definitely we were keeping an eye, but at the same point of time, once the game got over, we focused on the fact that this is our game. We need to focus on this.”
Chasing a massive target, Zimbabwe did well to reach 184 for 6 in 20 overs with Brian Bennett scoring an unbeaten 97 off 59 balls. Arshdeep Singh claimed three wickets while Shivam Dube, Varun Chakaravarthy and Axar Patel picked one wicket each.
Pandya, who went wicketless in the match, speaking on his bowling, said: “Pretty good, I think. I like bowling with the new ball. It swings. I mean, God has been kind. I have the skillset of bowling inswing and outswing. So I really enjoy. I think it gives me the opportunity to take wickets as well. It challenges the batter as well. So yeah, pretty satisfied.”
India will next play the West Indies in their last Super Eight match on Sunday, which would be a virtual quarterfinal for a place in the last-four.
