Chennai, Feb 26 – India captain Suryakumar Yadav praised his team’s batting display but expressed concerns over the bowling performance despite a convincing 256/4 to 184/6 victory over Zimbabwe in the T20 World Cup 2026 at Chepauk. The win keeps India in contention for a semifinal spot.
After their Super 8 opener loss to South Africa, the Indian batters bounced back strongly, posting a commanding total. However, the bowling unit, particularly Shivam Dube who conceded 46 runs in two overs, drew the captain’s criticism.
“We could have been more clinical with the ball. A win is a win, but we’ll tighten our screws ahead of the West Indies clash,” Yadav said, referring to India’s must-win game at Eden Gardens on March 1.
He added, “I don’t want to take credit away from Zimbabwe batters they batted smartly. We could have been a bit smarter with our options.”
Yadav also highlighted the team’s preparation for the crucial match. “We focused on positivity, leaving previous results behind. Contributions from the top order to number seven meant there was hardly anything missing in our performance,” he explained.
Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza acknowledged the lessons his team took from their previous game against South Africa and emphasized the need for improvement across all departments. With two consecutive heavy losses, Zimbabwe’s semifinal hopes have ended.
“The youngsters are learning fast, but against the best teams, all three departments must perform. We aim to finish strong against South Africa in Delhi on March 1,” Raza said.