India are clashing against Zimbabwe in the 48th match of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai. The inclusion of Sanju Samson in the playing XI received a huge cheer from the crowd, indicating that they were happy with the decision and wanted the player to come out and bat freely.

The Men in Blue were asked to bat first by Zimbabwe. When they came out to bat, Samson opened the innings along with Abhishek Sharma. The right-handed batter started his innings with a dot ball but didn't shy away from slamming the second ball for a six. The bowler was shocked, but the crowd seemed to enjoy the batter's performance. 

Samson looked in great touch before getting out on 24 off 15 balls, including one boundary and two sixes. The right-handed batter played his second game in the tournament and yet again failed to perform. But he did give a great start to the match which was carried by Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan after his dismissal. 

Watch the video here:

𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐏𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐃 🚀

Sanju Samson starts the innings on a positive note! 💪

ICC Men’s #T20WorldCup 👉 SUPER 8, #INDvZIM | LIVE NOW ➡️ https://t.co/vIdZg7mGmy pic.twitter.com/TtmJRlvcR0

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) February 26, 2026

Samson came in for Rinku Singh in the match against Zimbabwe. India wanted to have a strong opening pair, but the plan didn't work out as Samson was dismissed early. It will be interesting to see how many runs the Men in Blue will put up on the board in today's match. Their current run rate is quite high and with seven wickets in hand, anything can happen. 

Abhishek Sharma slams first 50 in T20 World Cup 2026

India's star opener Abhishek Sharma had a tough time scoring runs in the ongoing tournament. He was in incredible form today, scoring 55 runs in 30 balls, including four boundaries and sixes. He got the perfect support from Ishan Kishan, who also scored 38 runs in 24 balls, hitting four boundaries and one six. 

After the West Indies were defeated by South Africa, India no longer have to keep a check on the NRR. Hence, they just have to win the match and then hope to beat West Indies in the next encounter. If India win today, the next game will be a virtual quarter-final between India and West Indies.