Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], February 26 : A clinical Team India, powered by fifties from Abhishek Sharma and Hardik Pandya and a fiery spell by Arshdeep Singh, powered their way back into contention for a semifinal spot in the ICC T20 World Cup, beating Zimbabwe by 72 runs in their do-or-die match at Chennai on Thursday.
With this win, India has a win and a loss each in the Super Eight phase, same as West Indies, making the March 1 clash between them a virtual knockout match for the second semifinal spot, with Proteas having qualified for the semifinal with two wins in two matches so far. India was put to bat first by Zimbabwe and they put their highest T20 WC total on the board courtesy knocks from Abhishek Sharma (55 in 30 balls, with four boundaries and four sixes), Hardik Pandya (50* in 23 balls, with two fours and four sixes) and Tilak Varma (44* in 16 balls, with three fours and four sixes). In reply, Zimbabwe was valiant, posting 184/6 in 20 overs, courtesy a fine 97* in 59 balls, consisting of eight fours and six sixes by Brian Bennett and a 21-ball 31 by skipper Sikandar Raza. Arshdeep Singh (3/24) was the top wicket-taker for India.
In the run-chase of 257 runs, Zimbabwe started with a modest four-run over against Arshdeep Singh.
Openers Brian Bennett and Tadiwanashe Marumani took very minimal risk in the powerplay, with an odd boundary sometimes in the powerplay.
In the fifth over, Brian collected a couple of fours against Jasprit Bumrah.
Tadiwanashe started the final over of powerplay against Varun Chakravarthy with a six and the powerplay with 44/0 in six overs.
Axar ended the 44-run stand, removing Tadiwanashe for a run-a-ball 20 with two sixes in 7.1 overs.
In the ninth over, Bennett took some risk against Axar, collecting a couple of sixes and a four, bringing the score to 70.
Varun's magical spin removed Dion Myers for just two, with a fine catch from Tilak. Zimbabwe ended the first half of the innings at 73 runs and two wickets gone.
Bennett and skipper Sikandar Raza carried on with a partnership, with the young Bennett reaching his third fifty of the tournament in 34 balls, consisting of four boundaries and three sixes.
Zimbabwe reached the 100-run mark in 13.4 overs. In the 15th over, Bennett struck a two fours and sixes against Shivam Dube, getting 26 runs. Bennett and Raza completed a 50-run stand in 31 balls. In the next over, Raza hit Varun for a four and six, but he fell to Arshdeep Singh in the next over, getting caught by Arshdeep Singh at long-on for a 21-ball 31, with two fours and two sixes. Arshdeep also got all-rounder Ryan Burl trapped lbw in the same over, reducing Zimbabwe to 144/4 in 16.4 overs.
Tony Munyonga started off his innings with two successive fours against the left-armer, bringing up Zimbabwe's 150-run mark in 17 overs.
Arshdeep got Tony cleaned up for a six-ball 11 in the penultimate over, reducing Zimbabwe to 162/5 in 18.2 overs.
Tashinga Musekiwa was removed by Dube in the final over for seven, reducing Zimbabwe to 173/6 in 19.1 overs.
Zimbabwe's chase ended at 184/6, with Bennett (97* in 59 balls, with eight fours and six sixes) and Brad Evans (1*) unbeaten.
Arshdeep (3/24) was the star for Team India with the ball, while Varun, Axar and Dube got one wicket each.
Earlier, India posted a massive total of 256/4, setting a daunting target of 257 runs. This is India's highest total in T20 World Cup history and the highest of the ongoing edition. This is also the second-highest total in T20 WC history, with Sri Lanka's 260 against Kenya back in the inaugural edition in 2007 being the best one. Overall, it stands as India's fifth-highest team total in the shortest format.
Asked to bat first in Chennai, India opened the batting with Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson, who made his comeback in the playing XI. India made two changes in their playing XI, replacing Rinku Singh and Washington Sundar with Samson and Axar Patel.
The opening duo added 48 runs in just 22 balls, with Samson contributing 24 runs, including one four and two sixes, before he played a delivery by Blessing Muzarabani to deep mid-wicket, where he found Ryan Burl.
Ishan Kishan came to bat at number three and made 38 runs off 24 balls with the help of four fours and a six. He added 72 runs for the second wicket with Abhishek Sharma (55 runs off 30 balls). Sharma hit four sixes and as many fours as he hit his first half-century in the T20 World Cup in 26 balls, restoring confidence following a poor run with the bat, which included three ducks.
The duo played out the final over of powerplay against Richard Ngarva, collecting 17 runs to end India's powerplay at 80/1 in six overs, with two fours and a six hit by the duo.
India reached the 100-run mark in 9.1 overs.
Kishan gave his wicket to Sikandar Raza in the 11th over, with Ngarva taking the catch. India was 120/2 in 10.2 overs, and Suryakumar Yadav joined Sharma on the pitch. The skipper started off his innings with a four.
In the 13th over, Surya and Abhishek hit Tinotenda Maposa for 17 runs, including a four each by the duo and a massive six by Abhishek, but the bowler got the last laugh, getting Abhishek for a fiery 55, with Raza catching him at long-on. India was 150/3 in 12.3 overs.
Skipper Suryakumar's cameo ended in the 15th over, holing out to Tashinga Musekiwa near the covers boundary, giving Ngarva his first wicket. India was 172/4 in 14.5 overs. He made a quickfire 33 in 13 balls, with three fours and two sixes.
Tilak Varma came to bat at number six and went berserk, hitting four sixes and three fours in his unbeaten 44-run knock off just 16 balls. He added 84 runs for the fifth wicket with Hardik Pandya. The highlight of this partnership included 40 runs collected within overs 18 and 19. Muzarabani's 18th over went for 19 runs, including a six each by the duo and a four by Tilak. Ngarva's penultimate over went for 21 runs, including two sixes by Tilak and a four by Hardik.
Pandya made 50 not out off just 23 balls with the help of two fours and four sixes, which helped India set a big target of 257 runs for the Chevrons.
17 sixes by India in this innings is the joint most by them in a T20 World Cup innings, surpassing 15 against Australia in Gros Islet in the 2024 edition.
India hit 63 sixes this World Cup so far - the most by them in an edition of the tournament, surpassing 61 in 2024; only West Indies' tally of 66 this edition ranks higher for a team.
Blessing Muzarabani, Tonitenda Maposa, Richard Ngarava and Raza took a wicket each for Zimbabwe.
Brief Scores: India: 256/4 (Abhishek Sharma 55, Hardik Pandya 50*, Blessing Muzarabani 1/43) beat Zimbabwe: 184/6 in 20 overs (Brian Bennett 97*, Sikandar Raza 31, Arshdeep Singh 3/24).