India thump Zimbabwe to revive T20 World Cup title defence

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Cricket - ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 - Super 8 - India v Zimbabwe - MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, India - February 26, 2026 India's Hardik Pandya celebrates with Tilak Varma after reaching his half century REUTERS/Priyanshu Singh
Cricket - ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 - Super 8 - India v Zimbabwe - MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, India - February 26, 2026 India's Abhishek Sharma in action REUTERS/Priyanshu Singh
Cricket - ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 - Super 8 - India v Zimbabwe - MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, India - February 26, 2026 Zimbabwe's Tinotenda Maposa celebrates after taking the wicket of India's Abhishek Sharma, caught out by Sikandar Raza REUTERS/Priyanshu Singh
Cricket - ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 - Super 8 - India v Zimbabwe - MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, India - February 26, 2026 India's Jasprit Bumrah celebrates with teammates as Zimbabwe's Brian Bennett and Brad Evans look dejected after the match REUTERS/Priyanshu Singh
Cricket - ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 - Super 8 - India v Zimbabwe - MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, India - February 26, 2026 India's Ishan Kishan celebrates with teammates after taking a catch to dismiss Zimbabwe's Tadiwanashe Marumani REUTERS/Priyanshu Singh

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CHENNAI, India, Feb 26 : A rampant India piled up a record total and handed Zimbabwe a 72‑run shellacking in a Super Eight contest on Thursday to revive their Twenty20 World Cup title defence.

Sent in, the hosts blasted 256‑4, the tournament's highest score this year, after Abhishek Sharma and Hardik Pandya smoked blistering half‑centuries.

It rained 17 sixes and as many fours at Chennai's MA Chidambaram Stadium as India's top order feasted on a modest Zimbabwean attack made even blunter by their sloppy catching.

Left with a mountain to climb, Zimbabwe managed 184-6. Brian Bennett hit an unbeaten 97 but it was not enough to prevent their elimination from the tournament.

Source: Reuters

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