The Super-8 match of the T20 World Cup 2026 between India and Zimbabwe is scheduled to be held on February 26 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. This is India's second match of the round, a must-win situation for them to stay in the semi-final race. The main reason for this is India's 76-run loss to South Africa, which has left Suryakumar Yadav & company with a net run rate of -3.800.

In the Super-8 match played at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, India suffered its biggest defeat in terms of runs in the history of the tournament at the hands of South Africa. Following this loss, India needs to register a big win against Zimbabwe to remain alive in the semi-finals’ race and cover the net run rate.

See Also: Watch: Shaheen Afridi dismissed in-form England opener Phil Salt for a Golden duck in ENG Vs PAK T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8 match

Some changes could also be made in Team India's playing XI for the match against Zimbabwe. For this reason, we are going to tell you the top 3 reasons why Sanju Samson should get a chance in place of Tilak Varma.

1. Tilak Varma’s underwhelming run in the T20 World Cup 2026

Tilak Verma batted at number 3 for India in the T20 World Cup 2026, but has not performed up to expectations. In most matches, Tilak adopted a slow batting approach, which drew a lot of criticism. Even when coming to bat in the powerplay, he did not change his approach, and his strike rate remained quite low. So far in five innings, Tilak has scored 107 runs at a strike rate of 118.88. His slow batting approach also puts pressure on other players. For this reason, the team management may give Sanju Samson a chance in place of Tilak against Zimbabwe. Although Sanju's form may not be very good, his attacking approach could help relieve pressure on the team.

2. Adding right-hand balance to India’s left-heavy top order

Initially, for the T20 World Cup 2026, India's top three batters were supposed to be Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, and Tilak Varma. However, then Tilak got injured, and Ishan Kishan came in for the New Zealand T20 series and performed exceptionally well. Meanwhile, Sanju didn't play a single big knock. For this reason, when Tilak returned for the tournament, Sanju was dropped, and Ishan was chosen as an opener alongside Abhishek. This made all three of India’s top-order batters left-handed. As a result, opposing teams don’t have to make many changes to their strategies. Hence, including right-handed Sanju could be a good option. His inclusion would require the opposition to come up with a slightly different plan.

3. India can play Kuldeep Yadav for Rinku Singh

The match against Zimbabwe is to be held in Chennai, which is generally considered a venue that favors spin bowlers. For this reason, India might need an extra spinner, and a decision could be made to play Kuldeep Yadav. However, there was discussion about playing Kuldeep in place of Arshdeep Singh, but if Sanju Samson is included instead of Tilak, then Kuldeep Yadav might take the place of Rinku Singh, who returned home suddenly due to a family emergency. There is no update yet regarding Rinku's availability. In such a scenario, India might think of using this opportunity to strengthen their bowling.