After losing to South Africa in the opening Super 8s of the T20 World Cup, co-host India is in a precarious position. India now needs to win both of its remaining Super 8 matches – against Zimbabwe on Thursday and the West Indies on Sunday.
The match against Zimbabwe will provide India, which is recovering from its defeat to South Africa, a chance to return to winning ways and make some changes to its playing XI. Will vice-captain Axar Patel be included in the playing XI in place of Washington Sundar?
Will opener Abhishek Sharma be given another chance despite his repeated failures as an opener? Will Rinku Singh, currently out of the team due to his father's illness, be able to return in time? We will know the answers to all these questions in a few hours when the teams take the field at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Thursday.
IND vs ZIM Head to Head in T20 World Cup
India and Zimbabwe have faced each other only once in the history of the T20 World Cup. In that World Cup match, hosted by Australia, India defeated Zimbabwe by a margin of 71 runs. Suryakumar Yadav top-scored for India in that match, scoring an unbeaten 61 off 25 balls.
A total of 13 T20 matches have been played between the two teams, of which India has won 10, while Zimbabwe has won 3. India last defeated Zimbabwe at home in 2024, when they faced a young team captained by Shubman Gill. Therefore, Team India will have to be wary of a confident Zimbabwe in Chennai.
India vs Zimbabwe T20I pitch report
Chennai's MA Chidambaram Stadium, long known for its spinner-friendly pitches, is witnessing a new story this time around. During the T20 World Cup 2026, the ground was among the best in terms of both average and strike rate. This time, spinners haven't performed as well. Fast bowlers have also been thrashed. No domestic or local matches have been played at Chepauk since the outfield was renovated for IPL 2025. Thursday's match will be played on a black soil surface. This is the same pitch on which New Zealand chased down 183 against Afghanistan in just 17.5 overs.
MA Chidambaram Stadium Score Records:
| Total matches: | 16 |
| Batting first won: | 9 |
| Bowling first won: | 6 |
| 1st inn avg score: | 165 |
| 2nd inn avg score: | 137 |
| Highest Total: | 200/4 |
| Lowest Total: | 80/10 |
| Highest Chased: | 183/5 |
| Lowest Defended: | 103/8 |
Possible Playing 11s
India (IND) Playing XI
1. Abhishek Sharma, 2. Ishan Kishan(WK), 3. Tilak Varma, 4. Suryakumar Yadav(C), 5. Shivam Dube, 6. Hardik Pandya, 7. Rinku Singh, 8. Washington Sundar, 9. Varun Chakaravarthy, 10. Jasprit Bumrah, 11. Arshdeep Singh
Zimbabwe (ZIM) Playing XI
1. Brian Bennett, 2. Tadiwanashe Marumani(WK), 3. Dion Myers, 4. Ryan Burl, 5. Sikandar Raza(C), 6. Tony Munyonga, 7. Tashinga Musekiwa, 8. Brad Evans, 9. Richard Ngarava, 10. Graeme Cremer, 11. Blessing Muzarabani
Also Read: Players who scored centuries in T20 World Cup 2026
