Chennai: A raucous crowd of 28,247 fans witnessed India’s emphatic 72-run victory over Zimbabwe in their Super Eights clash of the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Thursday. The turnout reinforced Chennai’s reputation as one of the most passionate cricket venues in the country.
The high attendance continued a trend of strong turnouts for the tournament’s games at Chepauk, which has averaged nearly 20,000 spectators per game. The highest turnout figure came in the New Zealand-Afghanistan match, when 24,991 fans were at the ground for high-octane action.
The city’s cricket lovers have long been admired for their sporting appreciation, with Pakistan in 1999 and Afghanistan in 2023 offering lap of honour tributes to the faithful cricket fans at Chepauk. This edition of the T20 World Cup has been no different, with teams such as New Zealand, Afghanistan, the Netherlands, and the USA receiving loud cheers from the knowledgeable cricket fans in Chennai.
On the field, India’s batters produced a run-fest for Chennai’s cricket fans, who were treated to a soulful musical performance by singer-composer Anirudh Ravichander, by smashing 17 sixes – a new tournament record – to post 256/4, their highest score in the tournament’s history.
Abhishek Sharma signalled a return to form by striking a 30-ball 55, while Hardik Pandya blasted an unbeaten 50 off 23 balls, and Tilak Varma added a rapid 44 from 16 deliveries. Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza’s decision to bowl first backfired as his bowlers were sent chasing leather for most of the innings.
Zimbabwe never looked likely to chase down the imposing target, but Brian Bennett ensured the contest retained some dignity with a fighting 97 not out off 59 balls, laced with eight fours and four sixes. His lone resistance carried Zimbabwe to 184/6, though he fell just three runs short of a well-deserved century.
The result eliminated Zimbabwe from the competition and confirmed South Africa’s place in the semi-finals, while putting India’s campaign back on track after their earlier 76-run defeat to the Proteas in Ahmedabad.
The win also sets up India’s virtual knockout clash against fellow two-time champions West Indies at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on March 1. But for now, Chepauk once again left its mark as a venue where cricket is celebrated passionately by its fans.
(IANS)
