India faces Zimbabwe in a high-stakes Super 8 clash at Chepauk, where every run and wicket could decide semifinal hopes. This T20 World Cup 2026 showdown promises drama on a familiar Chennai deck.
India vs Zimbabwe, 48th Match, Super 8 Group 1, ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. Date: Thursday, February 26, 2026. Time: 7:00 PM Local (Chennai) / 7:00 PM IST (toss at 6:30 PM IST). Venue: MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai.
Chepauk’s fresh pitch looks batsman-friendly early on, with scores around 170-180 par, but it slows down to aid spinners like Varun Chakravarthy later—perfect for India’s attack. Weather stays clear with no rain, hazy skies turning sunny, temps from 27-32°C, high humidity over 70%, and dew likely to challenge the team bowling second.
For India, this is do-or-die after a shocking 76-run Super 8 loss to South Africa that snapped their streak and tanked their net run rate to -3.880—they need wins over Zimbabwe and West Indies to sneak into semis. Zimbabwe rides giant-killer momentum from group stage upsets over Australia and Sri Lanka, entering Super 8 unbeaten, but a West Indies thrashing exposed vulnerabilities; a win here boosts their unlikely semifinal push.
India topped their group with four straight wins—edgy vs USA, thumpings of Namibia (93 runs), Pakistan (61 runs), and Netherlands (17 runs)—but the SA collapse highlighted middle-order wobbles despite Bumrah’s brilliance. Zimbabwe stunned everyone, chasing 179 vs Sri Lanka (Bennett 63*, Raza 45) after beating Australia, staying perfect until West Indies hammered them by 107 runs in Super 8 opener.
IND vs ZIM Match Details
- Match: India vs Zimbabwe, 48th Match
- Teams: IND vs ZIM
- Date: 26 Feb 2026
- Time: 6:30 PM 1:30 PM GMT / 7:00 PM LOCAL
- Venue: MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai.
T20 World 2026 Live Streaming Info
The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 kicks off on February 7, 2026, and wraps up with the final on March 8, 2026. Hosted across India and Sri Lanka with 20 teams, it spans about a month—group stages from early February, Super 8s mid-month, semis late February/early March, and the final in Colombo or Mumbai.
- In India, tune into Star Sports Network (Star Sports 1, Star Sports 2) or stream on Disney+ Hotstar and JioCinema.
- Pakistan viewers can watch on PTV Sports, A Sports, or Ten Sports, with streaming available on Tapmad and Tamasha.
- For Sri Lanka, options include SLRC, Channel Eye, and Siyatha TV on TV, plus Sri Lanka Cricket YouTube and Dialog ViU online.
- UK fans have Sky Sports Cricket, TNT Sports 1, and talkSPORT on television, alongside Sky Go, Discovery+, and NOW TV for streaming.
- In South Africa, SuperSport covers it on TV and via their app.
- Australia might check Fox Sports for TV and Kayo Sports for live streams.
- USA and Canada: Willow TV on TV, Sling TV or Willow HD app for streaming.
- New Zealand: Sky Sport NZ on TV and Sky Go app.
- Bangladesh: Gazi TV (GTV) and Rabith BD app.
- Afghanistan: RTA Sport and Ariana TV.
Rest of the world: ICC.tv for free streaming where no local rights holder exists. Subscriptions often apply, and VPNs can assist with geo-blocks where permitted.
How to Watch the Match for Free:
Catch every boundary without paying via these official free options, perfect for fans in Pakistan and beyond.
Pakistan: PTV Sports broadcasts all matches live for free on TV via terrestrial, cable, and satellite—no subscription needed.
Live Streaming Info:
The 48th T20 World Cup match will be live on Willow Cricket.
Live Score Info:
Probable XIs
India Probable XI: Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (wk), Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh.
Zimbabwe Probable XI: Brian Bennett, Tadiwanashe Marumani (wk), Dion Myers, Sikandar Raza (c), Ryan Burl, Tony Munyonga, Tashinga Musekiwa, Brad Evans, Wellington Masakadza, Graeme Cremer, Blessing Muzarabani.
Head-to-Head
India dominates with 10 wins from 13 T20Is against Zimbabwe’s 3—no ties. Last five: India swept 4-0 in Harare 2024 (wins by 42 runs, 10 wkts, 8 wkts, 42 runs; final match India 102 lost? Wait, series India 4-1). Recent: Jul 2024 India 167/6 beat Zim 125 (42r); Jul 6 India 102 lost to Zim; Jul 7 India 234/2 beat 134 (100r); Jul 5 India 182/4 beat 152 (30r); Jul 13 India 156/0 beat (rain).
India Analysis
India’s strength lies in explosive top order and death bowling—Suryakumar Yadav’s captaincy, Bumrah’s yorkers (3/15 vs SA), Arshdeep’s swing, and Chakravarthy’s home spin wizardry make them lethal on turning tracks. Weakness: Middle order fragility shown vs SA, Abhishek Sharma’s ducks, and workload on pacers. Key players: SKY (consistent anchor), Hardik Pandya (all-round fire), Rinku Singh returning for finishing. Recent: Group dominance, but SA reality check.
Zimbabwe Analysis
Zimbabwe thrives on underdog fight—Sikandar Raza’s experience (45 off 26 vs SL), Brian Bennett’s emergence (unbeaten 63* chase), and pacers like Muzarabani test lines. Weakness: Batting depth crumbles under pressure (107r loss to WI), over-reliance on top 4, spin lacks bite abroad. Key players: Raza (captain, all-round), Marumani (wk-bat), Masakadza (spin variety). Recent: Group heroics, Super 8 stumble.
Can India bounce back at home Chepauk, where spin rules? Zimbabwe’s upset pedigree vs Australia’s ghost—will Raza spark another? Dew factor flips chases; India’s NRR math demands big win. Abhishek’s form vs Bennett’s rise headlines battles.
India’s superior squad, home spin edge, and desperation overpower Zimbabwe’s momentum—expect India to win by 25-30 runs defending 175, with Bumrah and Chakravarthy starring. Form and conditions tilt blue.