India faces Zimbabwe in their second Super 8 (Group A) match, and there is no doubt that the pressure is on. After getting hammered by South Africa and losing by 76 runs, India can’t afford another slip-up. They have to beat Zimbabwe and then West Indies if they want a shot at the semi-finals. The bowlers Shivam Dubey, Jasprit Bumrah, and Arshdeep Singh did their job against South Africa, but the batters really let the team down. India, sit third in the group with a deeply negative NRR of -3.80 following their heaviest World Cup defeat.
In this tournament, Abhishek Sharma didn’t step up either. Now, India is counting on him to finally deliver, especially now. Ishan Kishan and captain Suryakumar Yadav will also be expected to deliver big innings. Jasprit Bumrah will be responsible for the bowling. On the other side, Zimbabwe’s not in great shape. They got thrashed by West Indies in their first Super 8 game, losing by a whopping 107 runs. Brad Evans was about the only bright spot for them.
Match details
Date – Thursday, February 26, 2025
Time – 07:00 PM IST
Venue – MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
For Zimbabwe, this is a must-win situation. They’re stuck at the bottom of the points table because of their terrible net run rate, and if they lose here, they’re out of the tournament as there is no second chances from here. Zimbabwe will not be looking to make many changes to their playing eleven. Opener Brian Bennett is in excellent form, so another big innings will be expected from him. Captain Sikandar Raza will want to make his mark with both batting and bowling.
India’s batting lineup is packed with talent, so one can expect them to put up a solid total here. They’re not just aiming for a win as they want a big one to boost their net run rate. On the other side, Zimbabwe leans a lot on a couple of key players. Blessing Muzarabani, for example, did a great job with the ball against the West Indies and he’s a big hope for them again. Still, India clearly has the advantage going into this match.
Chennai Pitch Report and Weather Update:
The weather is expected to be favorable during this match in Chennai. The temperature is expected to reach 30 degrees Celsius and the humidity is expected to be 72%. The Chennai pitch is considered balanced, although it has appeared batting-friendly so far in this tournament.
India’s probable XI: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Tilak Verma, Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dubey, Axar Patel, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh.
Zimbabwe’s probable XI: Brian Bennett, Tadiwanashe Marumani (wicketkeeper), Dion Myers, Sikandar Raza (captain), Ryan Burl, Tony Munyonga, Tashinga Musekiwa, Brad Evans, Graeme Cremer, Richard Ngarava and Blessing Muzarabani.
