After the crushing 107-run defeat to West Indies in Mumbai, Zimbabwe head coach Justin Sammons gave a stern warning about India’s aggressive approach ahead of the crucial Super 8 match to be held at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai (February 26, 2026).
West Indies scored 254/6—the second-highest total in T20 World Cup history—thanks to Shimron Hetmyer’s 85 off 34 balls and Rovman Powell’s 59. Zimbabwe were all out for 147, with spinners Gudakesh Moti (4/28) and Akeal Hosein (3/28) putting the team in trouble. Blessing Muzarabani was impressive with 2/42 (tournament tally: 11 wickets at 10.27), but Hetmyer’s early dropped catch proved costly.
After the match, Sammons emphasized the adjustment: “We know India will do the same thing… as West Indies did in their innings. They will not back down.” He criticized guessing under pressure and promised smart answers to disrupt the batting rhythm. With most of the players lacking Indian experience—only three of the XI had played there before—unlike Sri Lanka or Harare, they suffered from a small outfield, fair bounce and sixes of mishits.
The defeat reduced Zimbabwe’s net run rate (now lower than India’s), further raising the stakes in this do-or-die game. Both teams have entered the field with injuries—India having lost to South Africa by 83 runs—which makes this an opportunity for a comeback. Sammons values the “big lessons” learned from Mumbai, and emphasizes calm thinking and tactical variety.
Muzarabani remains a key asset with his height, line and length control. Zimbabwe will aim to take advantage of the experience to pull off an upset against the hosts’ dangerous batting line-up.
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