Chennai, February 26 (NationPress) Arshdeep Singh delivered an outstanding performance, taking 3 wickets for just 24 runs, as India triumphed over Zimbabwe by 72 runs during their Super Eights match in the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Thursday. This outcome led to Zimbabwe's exit from the tournament and secured South Africa's advancement to the semifinals.

This victory revitalized India's campaign after a prior setback against South Africa, setting the stage for a crucial matchup against the two-time champions, West Indies, at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on March 1, which is now a must-win game.

Zimbabwe, aiming to chase down a daunting target of 257, struggled throughout their innings. However, Brian Bennett provided a glimmer of hope with a commendable 97 not out off 59 deliveries, which included eight boundaries and four sixes. His solitary fight brought Zimbabwe to a respectable total of 184/6, just shy of a century.

Zimbabwe's pursuit was hampered from the outset, although they managed to avoid losing a wicket during the power-play. Opener Tadiwanashe Marumani faced difficulties early on and was even dropped on 17 by Ishan Kishan. Unfortunately, he couldn't make the most of this opportunity and was dismissed for 20 after edging a delivery from Axar Patel.

Despite Bennett's impressive boundaries, India maintained a tight grip on the game, with local talent Varun Chakaravarthy taking a crucial wicket by dismissing Dion Myers.

When Sikandar Raza joined Bennett at the crease, the required run rate was already high. Still, both batsmen found ways to score, particularly as Shivam Dube struggled with his bowling, giving away 26 runs in his initial over.

Arshdeep returned to dismiss Raza and then trapped Ryan Burl lbw for a duck, followed by a stunning yorker that bowled Tony Monyonga. Although Dube managed to take a wicket in the final over, Bennett finished the innings with a six and a four, ending with an unbeaten score.

India's victory not only boosted their net run rate but also raised concerns about Dube's bowling performance, which saw him concede 46 runs in just two overs—the highest two-over spell recorded in T20 World Cup history—while Chakaravarthy gave away 35 runs across his four overs.

As India prepares for their pivotal clash against the West Indies, the team will seek significant improvements in their bowling performance. For now, the substantial margin of victory showcased India’s batting strength, highlighted by Abhishek Sharma's 55 and Hardik Pandya's late innings fifty, which proved too much for Zimbabwe.

Brief scores:
India 256/4 in 20 overs (Abhishek Sharma 55, Hardik Pandya 50 not out; Sikandar Raza 1-29, Tinotenda Maposa 1-40) beat Zimbabwe 184/6 in 20 overs (Brian Bennett 97 not out, Sikandar Raza 31; Arshdeep Singh 3-24) by 72 runs.