IND vs ZIM: Will India have new opening pair for T20 World Cup 2026 clash? Management drops massive Sanju Samson hint

Sanju Samson played for India against Namibia in T20 World Cup 2026.

India will take on Zimbabwe in their second Super 8 clash of the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026 in Chennai on February 26, Thursday. The Men in Green are heading into this game after losing their first Super 8 match against South Africa.

The loss to South Africa has significantly impacted their net run-rate (NRR). The hosts now need two big wins to make it to the semi-finals. Apart from winning their own games, they need a few other things going in their favour as well.

India are yet to sort out their opening combination with the two openers not scoring runs in unison. While Ishan Kishan played an impactful knock against Pakistan in the league stage, Abhishek Sharma scored three consecutive ducks to start his campaign.

When Abhishek needed to score big in the Super 8 match against South Africa, the southpaw scored just 15. Ishan Kishan was out for a duck as India were chasing 188 to win the contest. They were bowled out for just 111 and they lost the match by 76 runs. India’s NRR fell to -3.800 and the team needs big wins to make up for the loss to the Proteas.

Sanju Samson all set to play IND vs ZIM Super 8 clash of T20 World Cup 2026

The team management is keen to sort out India’s opening woes. According to several media reports, the management is considering bringing back Sanju Samson to the opening slot. There are chances that he will open with Abhishek Sharma with Ishan Kishan getting demoted to three as India look to negate the threat of off-spinners, who have troubled their top-order.

Indian team management also dropped a massive hint when Sanju Samson was seen at practice sessions in Chennai, batting alongside Ishan Kishan. He batted for a long period of time, which means that he is in consideration for the IND vs ZIM clash. The keeper-batter played just one match in the tournament, which was against Namibia, where he scored 22 off just 8 balls, hitting three big sixes.

Having lost against South Africa, India find themselves in a must-win situation in their remaining two games, and the inclusion of Samson looks to be the solution as of now.

There might be a few more changes in the playing XI for IND vs ZIM, with Axar Patel likely to replace Washington Sundar. The inclusion of Kuldeep Yadav will also be a point of discussion. India will play their final Super 8 game against West Indies knowing the exact equation for their semi-final qualification.

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