T20 World Cup 2026: 'I would say the Indian team is back' - Abhishek Sharma after batting blitzkrieg vs Zimbabwe

Published - 26 Feb 2026, 21:52 IST | Updated - 26 Feb 2026, 22:03 IST

India batted superbly in the important Super 8 fixture against Zimbabwe at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Thursday, February 26. After Sikandar Raza won the toss and opted to bowl first, the Men in Blue took the Chevrons to the cleaners. Sanju Samson, playing just his second game in the 2026 T20 World Cup, started the onslaught, which was carried forward by fellow opener Abhishek Sharma.

Indian fans would breathe a massive sigh of relief after Abhishek returned to form with a 30-ball 55 on Thursday. He had aggregated only 15 runs in the four innings he had played before the game against Zimbabwe.

After playing a scintillating knock, the Punjab batter said that he was happy contributing to the team's cause once again. He also thanked the players and the support staff for backing him when he was struggling to score runs. After India posted a mammoth score of 256/4, Abhishek said that the team is back playing the aggressive cricket they are renowned for.

"It's always great to contribute to the team. I was waiting for this moment for a long time, and I am very happy. [Taking his time] It wasn't intentional. I just wanted to spend some time on the pitch. I haven't taken 10-12 balls so far. Special mention to the team. They just backed me; they were just reminding me that your time is not far. The way they have finished the innings, I would say the Indian team is back. That is what we wanted. As a batting unit, we just wanted to express ourselves," Abhishek said during a mid-innings interview.

Samson did exactly what the team needed vs ZIM: Irfan Pathan

Apart from Abhishek, Hardik Pandya also scored a remarkable half-century in just 23 balls. Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, and Tilak Varma also played impressive knocks to help India post the second-highest score in T20 World Cup history. The home side will look to register a comprehensive win and keep their hopes of reaching the semi-finals alive.