 "India playing XI for Zimbabwe: Samson, Axar to be recalled for must-win clash? Will Tilak remain at No 3?")
Team India suddenly find themselves in a do-or-die situation heading into their next T20 World Cup Super 8 clash, against Zimbabwe in Chennai on Thursday. The Men in Blue were overwhelming favourites to successfully defend their title heading into the second round after winning all four of their group-stage fixtures comfortably, including a 61-run thrashing of arch-rivals Pakistan in Colombo.
T20 World Cup 2026: News | Schedule | Results | Points Table
India’s chances of going the distance in the 10th edition of the T20 World Cup, however, took a major hit on Sunday when the Suryakumar Yadav-led side suffered a 76-run hiding at the hands of South Africa in a rematch of the 2024 final. The defeat has now left India with a negative Net Run Rate of -3.800. And the fact that West Indies had thrashed Zimbabwe by 107 runs in Mumbai the next day has further complicated India’s path to the semi-finals.
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India thus will not only have to win but win big when they face the Sikandar Raza-led Chevrons – who had beaten former champions Australia and Sri Lanka during the group stage to top their group with four wins in as many outings.
But before they take the field at Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium on Thursday, India will have to take a call on their playing XI and reassess their batting strategy as well as bowling options.
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View AllRinku to miss Zimbabwe clash?
Among the key developments in the build-up to the Zimbabwe was that of middle-order batter Rinku Singh flying back home due to a family emergency, which has made his participation in India’s next match doubtful. And unless the southpaw returns to the Indian camp over the next 24 hours, the Men in Blue could be looking at a forced change.
Does that open the door for Sanju Samson to return to the XI? Samson has made just one appearance so far in the tournament – having walked out to open alongside Ishan Kishan with Abhishek Sharma missing out due to a stomach bug. Samson had struck 22 off 8 deliveries in that game, and will be hungry for an even bigger score should he get the opportunity on Thursday.
Samson’s introduction will also help bring some balance into a batting order that is dominated by left-handers, especially the top-three. It is unlikely the wicketkeeper-batter will be batting in the middle order like he did in the months before the T20 World Cup, and will be opening alongside Abhishek with Ishan Kishan then moving to No 3.
Axar to return in place of Sundar?
Another interesting development over India’s last couple of matches at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium was Washington Sundar being preferred over vice-captain Axar Patel as the spin-bowling all-rounder. Sundar had missed a handful of games ahead of the T20 World Cup due to a side strain, but had regained full fitness by the time the T20 World Cup got rolling.
The Gujarat Titans all-rounder, however, couldn’t produce the kind of performances that would justify benching none other than the vice-captain himself. The off-spinner from Tamil Nadu had been smashed for 36 runs in four wicketless overs against Netherlands, although he did collect a couple of catches to somewhat make up for it. He didn’t collect a wicket against South Africa either, going for 17 runs in two overs and getting dismissed for a run-a-ball 11 while batting at No 5 during the chase.
It will, therefore, come as a major surprise as the Indian team management sticks to Sundar ahead of Axar for a third game in a row on Thursday.
And it wouldn’t come as a major surprise either if India opt to play an extra spinner by bringing Kuldeep Yadav back into the XI. Kuldeep’s inclusion not only adds firepower to India’s attack and could be handy at Chepauk, a wicket known to favour spin, it could also solve the logjam at the top of the batting order.
Tilak Varma, after all, has been misfiring for India so far in the World Cup, scoring 107 runs at an average and strike rate of 21.40 and 118.88 respectively. And such a trade off might not be too bad an idea for India, even if it sounds quite radical a move, especially at a crucial stage of the World Cup.
India’s predicted playing XI: Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (wk), Suryakumar Yadav (c), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah
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