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3 min readMumbaiUpdated: Feb 26, 2026 05:01 PM IST
India vice-captain Axar Patel and wicket-keeper batter Sanju Samson are expected to play in the T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8 match vs Zimbabwe in Chennai. (CREDIT: Express photo by Narendra Vaskar & AP)
Indian vice-captain Axar Patel will play the crucial T20 World Cup Super 8 clash against Zimbabwe in Chennai on Thursday, it is learnt. The Indian Express understands that the Indian team is likely to make two changes for their must-win Super 8 game in Chepauk. In another change, Rinku Singh is likely to make way for Sanju Samson, whereas Axar is likely to be included in place of Washington Sundar.
Samson’s inclusion means there could be a few batting shuffles. It will be interesting to see if the Indian team management will continue to open with Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan or will ask Samson to open.
Sharma has been going through a poor run of form in this tournament, with scores of 0, 0,0 and 15. Meanwhile, the team ratified the error by not having Axar. The Gujarat all-rounder didn’t play the last Super 8 game against South Africa in Ahmedabad, which India lost. At the same time, Rinku fell for a duck.
FOLLOW LIVE | INDIA VS ZIMBABWE T20 WORLD CUP 2026 SUPER 8 MATCH
The Indian team, which hoped to have an easier route in their T20 World Cup defence, will enter their D-Day on Thursday. They were not supposed to be in this spot of bother. No signs, in the 18 months leading up to the tournament, suggested otherwise. With a power-packed batting line-up that was oozing confidence, Sharma, the face of it, was supposed to power his way and lead India into the final and make history by becoming the first team to defend the T20 World Cup title.
Yet, here they are. Two games remain in the Super 8s stage, but a match not involving them (South Africa vs West Indies) is most prominent for India and its faithful. Before they take the field against Zimbabwe in front of a packed house at Chepauk, India will be keenly following the proceedings in Ahmedabad, hoping South Africa do them a favour, by beating West Indies in the afternoon fixture. And then when India take the field, they would look to annihilate Zimbabwe and make a statement.
This is not how India had expected this tournament to pan out. Favourites from the get-go, thanks to their batting might, India are now in a spot where not just their results but others too have to go their way. So, how did they find themselves in this situation? The answer very much lies in how the high-flying batting unit hasn’t been able to scale the highs of the last 18 months. It has meant that they haven’t been able to go full throttle in any of the matches, a concerning pattern which requires immediate attention.
Having spent years covering Mumbai’s local "maidan" cricket circuit, Devendra Pandey brings a unique ground-level perspective to his reporting. ... Read More
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