CHENNAI, India: In a breathtaking display of power-hitting at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, India assembled a colossal total of 256 against Zimbabwe in a must-win Super Eights clash of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
Asked to bat first by Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza, the Indian batting lineup unleashed a relentless assault, leaving the Chevrons with a mountainous chase to keep their semi-final hopes alive.
The innings was a clinic in modern T20 batting, with every batter in the top six firing in unison.
The final five overs yielded a staggering 80 runs without the loss of a single wicket, propelling India past the 250-run mark and setting a new benchmark for the tournament.
Fiery start sets the tone
Openers Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma provided the initial spark, racing to 48 runs in just 3.4 overs.
Samson looked in ominous touch, smashing 24 off 15 balls, including two towering sixes, before he was caught by Ryan Burl off the bowling of Blessing Muzarabani.
His dismissal brought Ishan Kishan to the crease, and the left-hander continued the onslaught.
In a dominant 72-run partnership with Abhishek Sharma, Kishan played the aggressor, racing to 38 off just 24 balls.
His innings was laced with four boundaries and a six before he was caught behind off the bowling of the Zimbabwean captain, Sikandar Raza.
Abhishek Sharma anchors the innings
At the other end, Abhishek Sharma was playing the perfect anchor role, rotating the strike and finding the boundary with ease.
He brought up his half-century in style, a knock that would prove crucial in building the platform for the late explosion.
He was eventually dismissed for a magnificent 55 off 30 balls, caught by Raza off the bowling of Tinotenda Maposa.
Pandya-Varma carnage
With the score at a formidable 150/3 in the 13th over, the stage was set for the finishers.
Captain Suryakumar Yadav provided a brief but brilliant cameo, smashing 33 off just 13 balls, including three fours and two sixes, before being caught off Richard Ngarava.
His departure brought Hardik Pandya and Tilak Varma together, and what followed was pure mayhem.
The duo added an unbroken 84 runs off just 31 balls for the fifth wicket, plundering the Zimbabwean bowling attack to all parts of the ground.
Hardik Pandya was at his destructive best, remaining unbeaten on a 23-ball 50, a knock that included two fours and four sixes.
However, it was Tilak Varma who provided the final flourish, annihilating the bowling in the death overs.
The young left-hander smashed an unbeaten 44 off a mere 16 balls, a breathtaking innings studded with three fours and four sixes.
Bowling figures take a beating
The Zimbabwean bowlers had a day to forget, with the conditions offering little respite.
Richard Ngarava and Blessing Muzarabani were the pick of the bowlers, each claiming a wicket but conceding 62 and 43 runs respectively in their four overs.
The inexperienced pace of Tinotenda Maposa proved expensive, leaking 40 runs in his two overs.
The spin duo of Raza and Brian Bennett managed to keep the runs in check slightly but could not break the decisive final partnership.
With a target of 257 runs, Zimbabwe face a daunting task to keep their semi-final dreams alive.
India, with their playoff chances now firmly in their own hands, will be looking to complete a comprehensive victory.
