India revived their ICC T20 World Cup 2026 campaign with a 72-run win over Zimbabwe in Chennai, posting 256/4 and restricting the visitors to 184/6
All top batters fired at 150+ strike rates, giving India momentum heading into their next match
Sunil Gavaskar urged India to play smart, plan well, and outfox the powerful West Indies lineup in Sunday’s do-or-die clash
India revived their ICC T20 World Cup 2026 campaign with a 72-run thrashing of Zimbabwe in Chennai on Thursday. Needing a win in their second Super Eight clash at MA Chidambaram Stadium, the defending champions scored the second-highest team total in the tournament's history, and then restricted Zimbabwe to 184/6.
But Suryakumar Yadav & Co. are not yet out of the woods. They now head to Kolkata to take on the West Indies in yet another do-or-die match. Win, and they join South Africa in the semi-finals from Group 1; lose, and they are eliminated.
Ahead of Sunday's Eden Gardens fixture, legendary Sunil Gavaskar has advised the Indian team to "play smart, come up with plans, and outfox the West Indies in a way they do not expect."
Plagued by batting inconsistencies, India made a couple of changes for the Zimbabwe match -- bringing Sanju Samson and Axar Patel for Rinku Singh and Washington Sundar, respectively -- and the trick worked for the co-hosts.
Samson (24 off 15) not only gave the team a flying start, but also allowed struggling Abhishek Sharma (55 off 30) to take time in the middle. The pair stitched India's best opening stand in this edition, then, with the foundation laid, the power-packed middle order unleashed fury.
Ishan Kishan (38 off 24), batting at No.3 to accommodate Samson, was at his usual brutal best, while skipper Yadav (33 off 13), Hardik Pandya (40 off 23), and Tilak Varma (44 off 16) played with abandoned joy. All six batters who had a crack at the Zimbabwean attack scored at a strike rate of 150-plus -- a rarity in international cricket.
A total of 256/4 proved more than enough despite opener Brian Bennett's brilliant 97 off 59. The 22-year-old lacked support from other Zimbabwean batters, with skipper Sikandar Raza's 31 off 21 the next highest score.
But against the Windies, it will be "a completely different challenge".
"They [West Indies] cannot be taken for granted. Their batters are in top form. Their bowlers are doing well. They punish opposition mistakes and strike at the right time," Gavaskar told Star Sports, the official broadcasters of the tournament.
The Caribbean ensemble, despite losing to South Africa in the early kick-off on Thursday, remains one of the favourites. Stacked with powerful hitters, the two-time champions had also posted a 250+ total against Zimbabwe, then wrapped up a 107-run win in their Super Eight opener.
But, they are not only about batting muscle. The Windies' line-up features a bowling line-up capable of taking on any opponent.
"India will need a good plan to handle the West Indies batting threat. Their batters start playing shots from ball one. They do not wait to see if the delivery needs respect. Their way of respecting the ball is by hitting it over the ropes," the former India captain added.
"So, India will have to play smart, come up with plans, and outfox West Indies in a way they do not expect. Sunday's match is surely going to be a cracking one."
India Vs West Indies, T20I Head-To-Head Record
India and the West Indies have met 30 times in T20 Internationals, with the former enjoying a 19-10 lead (with one no result) in the head-to-head record, at an impressive 65.51 per cent win rate.
But in the T20 World Cup, the Windies have a 3-1 lead: by seven wickets in 2009, by 14 runs in 2010, and that 2016 Mumbai semi-final (by seven wickets). India's lone win came in 2014 when they chased down a 130-run target for a seven-wicket victory in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
India Vs West Indies: Squads
India Squad: Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (wk), Suryakumar Yadav (c), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar, and Rinku Singh.
West Indies Squad: Brandon King, Shai Hope (c & wk), Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Roston Chase, Romario Shepherd, Jason Holder, Matthew Forde, Gudakesh Motie, Shamar Joseph, Akeal Hosein, Quentin Sampson, Jayden Seales, and Johnson Charles.
