The T20 World Cup 2026 lit up in Chennai on Thursday, courtesy of Team India’s audacious powerplay against Zimbabwe. In Super-8 action at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Suryakumar Yadav’s troops hammered 80/1 in six overs – a new benchmark for scores against Zimbabwe in the competition.
History buffs note this as India’s third-best powerplay effort, following the 86 against Namibia and 82 versus Scotland. The 2007 76/1 vs New Zealand now feels quaint. Losing the toss meant batting first, but openers Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson didn’t blink, racing to 48 in 3.4 overs.
Samson’s 24 (2 sixes, 1 four in 15 balls) was fireworks, succeeded by Ishan Kishan’s aggressive 38. Sharma’s anchoring 55* off 30 balls sealed the powerplay dominance with a 72-run stand.
Lineup tweaks reflected confidence: Axar Patel over Sundar, Samson over Rinku. India: Samson (wk), Sharma, Kishan, SKY (c), Varma, Pandya, Dube, Patel, Singh, Chakaravarthy, Bumrah.
Zimbabwe, under Raza, slotted Maposa for Kramer: Marumani (wk), Bennett, Myers, Burl, Munyonga, Muskiewa, Evans, Maposa, Muzarabani, Ngarava.
This blistering start embodies India’s fearless brand of cricket, pressuring Zimbabwe early. With stars aligned, expect a comprehensive performance that could define their campaign.