Chennai: India captain Suryakumar Yadav said a presentation from the team’s video analyst helped the side reset and approach their latest T20 World Cup fixture with renewed confidence, which was evident in their 72-run win over Zimbabwe in a crucial Super Eights clash at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Thursday.
Abhishek Sharma and Hardik Pandya led a power-packed batting effort by hitting blazing half-centuries as India posted a massive 256/4, their highest score in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. It was enough for them to get a big win and set their clash against West Indies in Kolkata on Sunday as a virtual knockout clash.
“I think we wanted to leave everything behind. We didn’t think too much about what we did in the league stage or in the last game in Ahmedabad. Our video analyst had prepared a slide for all the batters and bowlers, highlighting what we’ve done well over the past year.
“We looked at that, took a lot of positivity from it, and came here with clarity. With contributions from the top order right down to number seven, I think there was hardly anything missing in our performance,” said Suryakumar in the post-match presentation ceremony.
At the same time, Suryakumar acknowledged areas for further improvement with the ball. To be very honest, we could have been a little more clinical with the ball. But at the end of the day, a win is a win, and we’ll take it as we move forward. We’ll definitely tighten a few screws when we go and play the West Indies cricket team.”
He also praised Zimbabwe’s batting approach despite the result not going in their favour. “I don’t want to take any credit away from the Zimbabwean batters. I think they batted beautifully. Yes, the wicket was good, but the way they approached the innings – taking their time in the powerplay and then accelerating smartly was impressive.
“Credit goes to them as well. From a bowling point of view, though, we could have been a little smarter with certain options at key moments. In situations like this, we need to be courageous with our decisions. There’s no option other than taking the positive route.”
He added that they want to relax for now, before turning their focus to the important clash in Kolkata. “Once we reach Kolkata, we’ll sit down and plan properly for that game. For now, it’s about taking a day off, travelling, and relaxing.”
All-rounder Hardik Pandya, named Player of the Match, said he was happy with how his knock with the bat turned out to be: “Pretty happy. I mean, it sounds 23-ball 50, but I think I had to reassess the situation as well. What I meant by that was that I felt I was trying to hit too hard.
“Just in the game, I realised, I think I can time the ball and hit sixes as well. So I think for me, it was a good game to continue the rhythm because I feel that a couple of games I had, I could not do what I wanted to do. So pretty satisfied.
When asked if he was following the earlier game between South Africa and West Indies, Pandya said, “Absolutely. Obviously, we were all keeping an eye. Now it’s all about playing good cricket, backing your skill set, kind of absorbing the pressure, and making sure that you put the best foot forward. So definitely we were keeping an eye, but at the same time, once the game got over, we focused on the fact that this is our game. We need to focus on this.
Talking about his bowling, Pandya said, “Pretty good. I think I like bowling with the new ball. It swings. I mean, God has been kind. I have the skillset of bowling inswing and outswing. So I really enjoy. I think it gives me the opportunity to take wickets as well. It challenges the batter as well. So, pretty satisfied. I still have to bowl my one over, which I’m going to go after this.”
(IANS)
