T20 World Cup 2026: 5 player battles to watch out for in IND v ZIM match

India and Zimbabwe will compete in the Super 8s stage of the T20 World Cup 2026 tournament. This match will take place on February 26, 2026, at Chennai's MA Chidambaram Stadium.

Both teams lost their first Super 8s game by a large margin. India suffered a 76-run loss against South Africa in Ahmedabad, lowering their net run rate. On the other hand, Zimbabwe was defeated by the West Indies at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium. Zimbabwe allowed 254 runs and could only score 147, losing by 107 runs.

Here are the five player battles in the India vs. Zimbabwe game, with a win being a must for both the teams.

Here are the 5 player battles to watch out for in the IND v ZIM T20 World Cup 2026 match:

1. Abhishek Sharma v Sikandar Raza

Abhishek Sharma might be out of form and has been getting out to spinners. He got out to spinners against Pakistan and the Netherlands and has only made 15 runs in four games thus far. He knows he will be facing a spinner first up against Zimbabwe.

And who is a better spinner than skipper Sikandar Raza himself? Raza has 103 wickets in 131 T20Is at an economy of 6.85. He might have taken a pasting in the last game against the West Indies, but this doesn’t mean he will be a threat to Abhishek Sharma. However, Sharma will also look to go against Raza to gain an upper hand.

2. Blessing Muzarabani v Ishan Kishan

Ishan Kishan is the best in-form batter with 176 runs in five games with two fifties and a strike rate of 193.40. He has given India big starts in the powerplay overs, compensating for Abhishek Sharma’s failures. He has gone after the bowlers at the start and continued after the powerplay as well, as seen by his knock against Pakistan.

Blessing Muzarabani is the best pacer for Zimbabwe in this T20 World Cup. He has 11 wickets at an economy of 7.06 and best bowling figures of 4/17. He played a huge role in Zimbabwe’s wins over Australia and Sri Lanka. He will be tasked with keeping Kishan and Abhishek in check in powerplay overs.

3. Jasprit Bumrah v. Brian Bennett

Brian Bennett has been excellent with 180 runs with a strike rate of 124.13 and two fifties in the T20 World Cup 2026. Bennett has been giving Zimbabwe good starts at the top and has led the fight in their wins over Oman, Sri Lanka, and Australia. He will be playing on a Chennai pitch that’ll be similar to ones Zimbabwe played in Sri Lanka, and we expect him to excel.

Jasprit Bumrah has been in top form for India. He has picked 7 wickets in four games with a strike rate of 5.30. He has bowled well with the new ball and also at the death. If Bumrah gets the wicket of Brian Bennett out early, it will dent Zimbabwe’s chances in a huge way.

4. Varun Chakaravarthy v. Tadiwanashe Marumani

Tadiwanashe Marumani has scored 104 runs with a strike rate of 157.57 in four games. He has managed to give flying starts with Brian Bennett anchoring the innings. Marumani has gone hard after the bowlers to make quick runs in power play overs.

Varun Chakaravarthy might get to bowl with the new ball in Chennai, his home ground. Chakaravarthy has picked 10 wickets at an economy of 6.81 in five games with a best of 3/7. Chakaravarthy has the guile and ability to make the best of the conditions.

5. Brad Evans v Shivam Dube

Brad Evans has taken 9 wickets in four games with an economy of 8.51, with best bowling of 3/18. He has supported Blessing Muzarabani and Richard Ngarava well with the ball. He has supported with the bat as well. Evans’ bowling in death overs was amazing as well, especially against Australia and Sri Lanka.

Shivam Dube will be playing at his home ground in IPL, where he has smashed some of the best bowling attacks to all parts of the ground. Dube has done well in the T20 World Cup with 158 runs at a strike rate of 154.90. He will be crucial for India to get a big score or chase a decent score.

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