India Vs Zimbabwe Live Score, T20 World Cup 2026: Sanju Samson Opens For IND Alongside Abhishek Sharma

Huge cheer goes up in the Chepauk again as Sanju Samson walks out to open alongside Abhishek Sharma. It's the old pair reunited for Team India and if they get going then we're in for a big total. 

Richard Ngarava has the new ball in hand for The Chevrons with Samson on strike. 

The players walk out in two files for the national anthems. It's Zimbabwe's first followed by India. Stay tuned we're just moments away from the first over! 

South Africa's demolition job over the West Indies has cleared India's path to the Semifinals.

If India defeat Zimbabwe in Chennai, it would turn the men in blue's match against West Indies at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on March 1 into a virtual quarterfinal.

Read The Full Story: T20 World Cup 2026 Semi-Final Scenarios: How South Africa Win Boosts India's Chances

Here's what the captains had to say at the Toss.

Sikandar Raza (Zimbabwe Captain): We're going to have a bowl. Not your usual Chennai wicket. Looks moist, want to give the best chance to the seamers. If we can restrict India to a low total, will go a long way. As much as we're feeling the heat, our opposition will be feeling the same. It's holding on alright. One tactical change, Cremer misses out, Tinotenda Maposa comes in.

Suryakumar Yadav (India Captain): Happy with the decision, were looking to bat first. Boys are ready. Mood in the camp is relaxed. The way he spoke in the huddle (Hardik), experienced player, he knows what he brings to the table. Team required that and I think we'll have a good day tonight. Even if you win or lose, you learn something out of it. Just forget what happened in the last game. Play the same way as you've been playing last whole year. Enjoy the game and forget everything. Be fearless. Two changes: Axar comes in for Washington, Samson comes in for Rinku. Sanju will keep.

There's a huge roar that goes up in Chepauk when Suryakumar Yadav announces that local lad Sanju Samson returns to the Playing XI. India have made two changes with vice-captain Axar Patel coming in for Washington and Samson comes in for Rinku Singh.

Zimbabwe make one change with Tinotenda Maposa coming in to replace Graeme Cremer. 

India (Playing XI): Sanju Samson (WK), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav (C), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy and Jasprit Bumrah.

Zimbabwe (Playing XI): Tadiwanashe Marumani (WK), Brian Bennett, Dion Myers, Ryan Burl, Sikandar Raza (C), Tony Munyonga, Tashinga Musekiwa, Brad Evans, Tinotenda Maposa, Blessing Muzarabani and Richard Ngarava.
 

Zimbabwe have opted to have a bowl first at Chepauk. Suryakumar says he's happy with the decision as India were looking to bat first. 

Remember, India have won all their games batting first, with their only defeat coming against South Africa when they were forced to chase. 

Speaking on the Pitch and Conditions at the Chepauk Stadium, here's what Katey Martin and Dinesh Karthik had to say:

There is a nice cool breeze coming across, which is probably the coolest conditions you get in Chennai at this time of the year. The wicket is smack bang in the middle, so from a dimensions perspective it is even square — 67 metres on both sides — and a good 77 metres straight down the ground. Players don’t really care about the boundary rope, though; they just look for the stands. It’s a black soil pitch with enough in it for the bowlers to work with in terms of slowness. It’s not the green tinge we saw in the previous game between Afghanistan and New Zealand, but the batters are still going to have a good time and will be happy with the kind of score they put up. What has really worked here are slower balls. If the fast bowlers give it good revs into the pitch, it tends to grip and stop on the batter. With the square boundaries being quite big, it gives them plenty of room to work with. Ideally, if you don’t get above 170, you’ll be struggling because this pitch has been excellent for batting and one of the higher-scoring surfaces in this World Cup so far. It’s a must-win clash for both sides, and it will be fascinating to see who comes out on top.

The Proteas, led by their captain Aiden Markram (82* off 46 balls) have beaten the West Indies with 9 wickets and 23 balls to spare as they join England as the second team in the tournament to secure a semifinal berth. 

The win also gives India a massive boost as they are now 'Masters of their Own Fate' in their bid to qualify for the knockouts. Suryakumar Yadav's men need two wins from their remaining two games, starting against Zimbabwe tonight, to progress to the semifinals. 

Aiden Markram (77* off 44 balls) and Ryan Rickelton (38* off 22 balls) have put the Proteas within touching distance of securing their semifinal berth as they zero in on their second victory of the Super 8 stage in Ahmedabad. 

South Africa need just 14 balls now from 30 deliveries. 

South Africa 163/1 after 15 overs. 

As India arrives at the MA Chidambaram Stadium (Chepauk) for this do-or-die encounter, the team management is grappling with two major tactical dilemmas: how to break a left-hander heavy top order and which spin combination can best exploit a "fresh" Chennai surface.

Is it Sanju Samson’s Time? India’s batting has been under fire for being "tactically predictable," with a top order dominated by lefties (Abhishek, Kishan, Tilak). To counter Zimbabwe’s off-spin threat, led by the dangerous Sikandar Raza, there is a strong push to bring in Sanju Samson. Samson has been a focus of intense net sessions in Chennai and is the frontrunner to replace either Abhishek Sharma or Tilak Varma.

Rinku Singh Update: After flying home to attend to his father’s medical emergency, Rinku rejoined the squad on Wednesday evening. While he is available, his lack of practice over the last 48 hours and his underwhelming tournament form (24 runs in 5 games) make him a primary candidate to be rested if India opts for the Samson-plus-Axar combination.

Axar vs. Kuldeep: The Spin Strategy
Vice-captain Axar Patel is almost certain to return to the XI. His omission in the previous match against South Africa was widely questioned, and his match-up utility against Zimbabwe's right-handed core makes him more attractive than local favourite Washington Sundar.

The real intrigue lies with Kuldeep Yadav. While Chepauk is traditionally a spinner's paradise, this specific "fresh" track has been a batter’s dream, with an average score of 187. If India wants to "bowl their way" to an NRR-boosting win, they may consider playing Kuldeep alongside Varun Chakravarthy, potentially at the expense of a second seamer, though the humid conditions usually favour sticking with the pace of Arshdeep and Bumrah.

Aiden Markram has brought up his half-century, racing to 53* runs off just 31 balls to put his team in the driver's seat. Quinton de Kock picked up the scoring from the final over of the powerplay but ultimately was sent back in the 8th over by Roston Chase. The Windies spinner got de Kock (47 off 24 balls) caught at long-on breaking the 95-run opening stand. 

However, it all seems 'too little too late' as South Africa have brought the equation down to nearly a run-a-ball scenario with 68 runs needed off 60 balls. 

It's great news for Team India fans as a Windies defeat would leave them with their fate in their own hands. 

South Africa 109/1 after 10 overs. 

India's Rinku Singh has left the ICC Men's T20 World Cup camp following a serious health emergency involving his father. His father, who is battling stage-4 liver cancer, is currently on ventilator support, according to an NDTV report. 

Read the full story here - What Happened To Rinku Singh's Father? India Player Leaves T20 World Cup Camp Due To Family Emergency

The South African captain is in a mighty hurry to get to the semifinals, starting his innings with a vicious cut to find the boundary on the very first ball and he's been scoring at a canter in the powerplay. Aiden Markram has raced to 43* runs off just 20 balls having hit 6 fours and 2 sixes.

In stark contrast, Quinton de Kock has just 9* runs from off 11 balls, largely playing the role of spectator as his captain takes charge. The Proteas now need 124 runs from 90 balls after that quick start. 

South Africa 53/0 after five overs. 

For those of you just catching up on the tournament, here's a breakdown into how India and Zimbabwe have fared so far in the tournament. 

India’s journey to Chennai has been a tale of two halves. It began with a flawless, unbeaten run through the group stages followed by a jarring reality check.

After dominating Group A with four straight wins, including a clinical 61-run victory over Pakistan, the defending champions entered the Super 8s as heavy favourites. However, that momentum came to a screeching halt in Ahmedabad last Sunday. The Proteas exploited India’s middle-order vulnerabilities, bowling them out for just 111 after scoring 187/7 themselves, to secure a massive 76-run win.

That defeat didn't just end India’s record 12-match T20 World Cup winning streak, but it left them with significant damage to their NRR (-3.800), turning today’s fixture into an absolute must-win. 

Zimbabwe, meanwhile, arrives as the tournament’s favourite Underdog story, having undergone a radical 24-month transformation after failing to qualify for the 2024 edition. The "Chevrons" stunned the cricketing world by topping Group B, securing historic wins against both Australia and co-hosts Sri Lanka.

However, they were brought back to earth by the West Indies in their Super 8 opener, conceding a massive 254 runs before being bowled out for just 147, leaving them with a NRR that's worse that India's at -5.350. That doesn't take anything away from the African nation who still remains a dangerous, tactically disciplined side.

Led by the evergreen Sikandar Raza and bolstered by one of the tournament's standout pacer Blessing Muzarabani (11 wickets), Zimbabwe aren't just here to make up the numbers.

South Africa had West Indies on the ropes in their Super 8 clash at Ahmedabad, with the Men in Maroon struggling at 83/7 in the 11th over. However, an impressive 89-run stand off just 57 balls for the 8th wicket by Jason Holder and Romario Shepherd has given the Windies some hope in this game. 

Holder (49) and Shepherd (52*) were the only men to post significant contributions with Brandon King (21) the next highest scorer as West Indies reached 176/8 after 20 overs. It was Shepherd's maiden T20I fifty, which along with Holder's contribution could prove massively significant. 

Lungi Ngidi was the chief tormentor for the Windies with 3/30 with Kagiso Rabada (2/22) and Corbin Bosch (2/31) the other bowlers who chipped in with wickets. 

Marco Jansen was expensive, going for 23 runs in his final over as he finished wicketless with figures of 0/50. 

India’s survival in the 2026 T20 World Cup now hinges on a complex war on two fronts involving both on-field dominance and external results. Following their 76-run hammering by South Africa, the Men in Blue sit in third place of Group 1 with a Net Run Rate of -3.800. To advance, India essentially needs two things to happen:

Firstly, the Net Run Rate: If India bat first against Zimbabwe, they need to win by at least 77 runs to move their NRR into positive territory after two Super 8 matches. If India bat second the math gets more complicated as they'll need to win with overs to spare to boost their NRR. The chase will have to be aggressive and almost one-sided to bring their NRR into the positive. 

Second, a Windies Defeat: India's chances take a massive boost if the West Indies falter. Currently, the Proteas are doing India a massive favor in Ahmedabad, having reduced the Windies to a shaky 129/7 in 16 overs. If the Windies lose that will keep them on 2 points, which India can match if they win against Zimbabwe. That would turn their final Super 8 outing against the West Indies into a straight-forward knockout game on March 1.