India take on Zimbabwe to keep semifinal hopes alive:Will Sanju Samson, Axar Patel return to the playing XI in Chennai?

India are set to lock horns with Zimbabwe in what is a must-win encounter, in the T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8 on 26 February. For both teams, this match is an absolute must-win after they went down to South Africa and the West Indies by big margins in their respective opening matches of the Super 8 round. The Men in Blue find themselves in uncharted territory after the 76-run loss to the Proteas in a rematch of last edition’s final. The defeat was also India’s first in ICC tournaments since the 2023 ODI World Cup final loss to Australia, coincidentally at the same venue- Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Zimbabwe, much like India, started the Super 8 round with a loss to the West Indies. Both teams have suffered blows in terms of their Net Run Rate (NRR), with India’s NRR reading -3.800 and Zimbabwe having -5.350. There will also be focus on India’s team selection with changes likely to take place. Sanju Samson might be included just to break the pattern of having three left-handers at the top of the order. Axar Patel might also be brought back for this crucial game. India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate and batting coach Sitanshu Kotak hinted at Samson’s return to the playing XI for this match. Also, the bowling attack might also witness changes as the Chepauk track is likely to assist spin. IND vs ZIM, T20 WC 2026, Super 8, match details: Match: India vs Zimbabwe Super 8
Date: 26 February
Time: 7:00 PM IST, toss at 6:30 PM
Venue: MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
Where to follow: Star Sports (live telecast), JioHotstar (live streaming) and Bhaskar English App India vs Zimbabwe head-to-head records in T20I India and Zimbabwe have faced each other 13 times in T20Is so far. And India, on expected lines, dominate this head-to-head rivalry with 10 wins. Zimbabwe have three wins. The two teams have had just one match in the T20 World Cup, where India came out on top by 71 runs. Suryakumar Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy best performers for India so far Captain Suryakumar Yadav and spinner Varun Chakaravarthy have been the best bowlers for India so far in this T20 World Cup so far. Suryakumar has hit 180 runs in five matches, four more than Ishan Kishan (176), who was out for a duck against South Africa. Varun is the leading wicket-taker for India in this tournament so far. The no 1 ranked T20I spinner has picked up 10 wickets in five games so far. He has managed an impressive economy rate of 6.81 despite conceding 45 runs in four overs for just one wicket against South Africa. Blessing Muzarabani, Zimbabwe’s best bowler so far Blessing Muzarabani has been one of the main reasons behind Zimbabwe’s success at the T20 World Cup 2026 so far. The tall pacer has scalped 11 wickets in four matches and is the second-highest wicket-taker in this edition. His economy rate has also been pretty impressive- 7.06 Brian Bennett, on the other hand, has led the run-scoring charts for Zimbabwe. The right-hander has hit 180 runs, similar to Suryakumar Yadav in four matches. He has had a strike-rate of 124.13. Also read: Sanju Samson may return vs Zimbabwe: Rinku Singh to rejoin team before must-win clash, says Sitanshu Kotak India’s qualification scenario for the semifinals After facing a massive defeat to South Africa by 76 runs, India are now under pressure as two simple wins will not be enough to qualify for the semis. The Men in Blue must win all their remaining matches and that too with big margins. West Indies are currently leading the Super 8 Group 1 with a NRR of +5.35, followed by South Africa in second spot with +3.80. India are third, with a -3.800 NRR. They also depend on South Africa and hope that the Proteas win all their remaining matches convincingly. Chennai weather report The weather in Chennai is expected to moderate during the India vs Zimbabwe match. There is no forecast for rain in Chennai on 26 February and the temperature is expected to hover between 27 and 28 °C. MA Chidambaram Pitch Report The track at the MA Chidambaram Stadium or Chepauk has traditionally been spin-friendly. But the ground has produced some big scores in the tournament so far, with two good examples, both involving New Zealand’s batting. Against Afghanistan, the Kiwis hunted down 183 in just 17.5 overs and they chased down 174 against Canada, with 29 balls to spare. According to the Indian Express, three pitches have been prepared for the match- one having red soil and the other two having black soil. With a fair amount of bounce available as well, a high-scoring game can be expected. The publication also reported that the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) brought in a special chemical named ‘Dew Cure’ from the USA to prevent dew at the venue during the match.