India's 'SKYBall' Unleashed: Historic Batting Record in T20WC Win Over Zimbabwe

Team India registered a fine 72-run win over Zimbabwe to keep themselves in contention for the semifinal spot in the T20 World Cup at home. After a humiliating 76-run loss to South Africa at Ahmedabad, Team India learnt from its mistakes with regard to tactics and their performance and responded with a memorable confidence-booster performance that will get the fans smiling.

Each of India's six batters in action struck at a 150-plus strike rate, making it the first instance of six or more batters scoring 20-plus runs at 150+ SR in an innings during the T20 World Cup.

India also played out a total of just 26 dot balls, the lowest by them in a T20 World Cup, with South Africa also playing out 26 dots against England at Wankhede Stadium in 2016. During that match, England chased down 230 set by Proteas, courtesy a masterclass 83 by Joe Root, which outshone half-centuries from Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock and JP Duminy.

India has hit 63 sixes this World Cup so far - the most by them in an edition of the tournament, surpassing 61 in 2024; only West Indies' tally of 66 this edition ranks higher for a team. In their innings at Chennai, they hit 17 sixes, the most for them in a T20 World Cup inning, surpassing 15 against Australia in the 2024 edition at Gros Islet, during which Rohit Sharma played an iconic knock of 92 in 41 balls, with seven fours and eight sixes, powering India to 205/5.

The partnership between Tilak Varma and Hardik Pandya of 84 runs in just 31 balls had a run-rate of 16.25. There has been only one more partnership with a better run-rate of 18.00, a partnership of 87 runs in 29 balls between Sanath Jayasuriya and Mahela Jayawardene in the 2007 edition of the T20 WC. In this match, Sri Lanka made the highest total in tournament history of 260 runs, a record which still stands to this day.

With this win, India has a win and a loss each in the Super Eight phase, same as West Indies, making the March 1 clash between them a virtual knockout match for the second semifinal spot, with Proteas having qualified for the semifinal with two wins in two matches so far. India was put to bat first by Zimbabwe and they put their highest T20 WC total on the board courtesy knocks from Abhishek Sharma (55 in 30 balls, with four boundaries and four sixes), Hardik Pandya (50* in 23 balls, with two fours and four sixes) and Tilak Varma (44* in 16 balls, with three fours and four sixes). In reply, Zimbabwe was valiant, posting 184/6 in 20 overs, courtesy a fine 97* in 59 balls, consisting of eight fours and six sixes by Brian Bennett and a 21-ball 31 by skipper Sikandar Raza. Arshdeep Singh (3/24) was the top wicket-taker for India.

- ANI