India’s World Cup campaign reaches a crisis point as they face Zimbabwe at Chennai’s iconic MA Chidambaram Stadium tonight with everything on the line.
The pre-tournament favorites arrive with their tag fading after a decimating defeat to South Africa left them with a -3.800 net run rate, meaning wins alone won’t guarantee semifinals; they need big victories.
Zimbabwe, whose unbeaten group stage run ended violently against West Indies in Mumbai, faces identical pressure needing two wins and an NRR surge. India’s batting has been questioned throughout, averaging just 6.80 for the first wicket (tournament-low).
Zimbabwe counters with Brian Bennett, the leading T20I run-scorer since 2024. Chepauk offers music to India’s ears, the worst bowling strike-rate for spinners among all World Cup venues. Let’s explore where you can watch this high-stakes encounter live.
India vs Zimbabwe Match Details – T20 World Cup 2026
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Match | India vs Zimbabwe (48th Match, Super 8 Group 1) |
| Date | Thursday, February 26, 2026 |
| Venue | MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai |
| Time | 7:00 PM LOCAL / 1:30 PM GMT / 7:00 PM IST |
| Series | ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 – Super 8s |
Where to Watch IND vs ZIM T20 World Cup 2026 Live?
Indian fans can watch the match live on Star Sports with streaming available on JioHotstar. Zimbabwean viewers can access the game through SuperSport with streaming on the SuperSport App. International audiences can tune in via their regional ICC broadcast partners.
Live Streaming by Country
| Country | TV Broadcaster | Streaming Platform |
|---|---|---|
| India | Star Sports | JioHotstar |
| Zimbabwe | SuperSport | SuperSport App, ICC.tv |
| Pakistan | PTV Sports, Ten Sports, ASports | Myco, Tapmad, Tamasha |
| United Kingdom | Sky Sports | Sky Go, NOW |
| USA & Canada | Willow TV | Willow by Cricbuzz |
| Australia | Fox Cricket, Nine Network | Amazon Prime Video, Kayo |
| New Zealand | Sky Sport NZ | Sky Go, TVNZ+ |
| South Africa | SuperSport | SuperSport App, DStv |
| Sri Lanka | TV Supreme, Dialog TV | ICC.tv, Sirasa TV |
| Bangladesh | Gazi TV, T Sports | Rabbithole |
| Middle East | — | ICC.tv |
| Rest of World | Varies by country | ICC.tv |
Live Streaming Apps for T20 World Cup 2026
For fans on the go, several mobile apps offer live streaming of T20 World Cup 2026 matches. Here’s a comprehensive list of official streaming applications:
| App Name | Available In | Platform | Subscription |
|---|---|---|---|
| JioHotstar | India | iOS, Android | Free with Jio / Paid Premium |
| ICC.tv | Global | iOS, Android, Web | Pay-per-match / Tournament pass |
| Willow by Cricbuzz | USA, Android | Subscription required | |
| Sky Go | UK, New Zealand | iOS, Android | Sky subscription required |
| Kayo Sports | Australia | iOS, Android, Web | Subscription required |
| Amazon Prime Video | Australia, Select regions | iOS, Android, Fire TV, Web | Prime membership required |
| SuperSport App | South Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa | iOS, Android | DStv subscription required |
| TVNZ+ | New Zealand | iOS, Android, Web | Free with ads |
| NOW | United Kingdom | iOS, Android, Web | Day/Month pass available |
| Tapmad | Pakistan | iOS, Android | Free & Premium tiers |
| Tamasha | Pakistan | iOS, Android, Web | Subscription required |
The India vs Zimbabwe T20 World Cup 2026 match will be broadcast live on Star Sports in India with streaming on JioHotstar. Zimbabwean viewers can watch on SuperSport with SuperSport App streaming, while international fans can access the match via their regional ICC broadcast partners.
India vs Zimbabwe Probable XIs – T20 World Cup 2026
India considers changes to their left-handed top-three, with Sanju Samson potentially replacing either Abhishek Sharma or Ishan Kishan after extended keeping drills.
Axar Patel is expected to return. Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza confirmed playing despite a palm injury from Mumbai, with Ryan Burl joking, “good luck telling him he’s not playing against India.”
India Probable XI: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah
Zimbabwe Probable XI: Brian Bennett, Tadiwanashe Marumani (wk), Dion Myers, Ryan Burl, Sikandar Raza (c), Tony Munyonga, Tashinga Musekiwa, Brad Evans, Graeme Cremer, Richard Ngarava, Blessing Muzarabani
MA Chidambaram Stadium – Pitch Report & Stats
Equal-sized square boundaries with central pitch (No.5) confirmed as black soil surface. Crucially for India, Chepauk has the worst bowling strike-rate and second-worst bowling average for spinners among all eight World Cup venues. Recent 7 PM matches produced first-innings scores of 200/4 and 196/6, suggesting the true batting surface India has sought.
T20 Stats At MA Chidambaram Stadium
| Statistic | Record |
|---|---|
| Total T20 Matches | 16 |
| Matches won batting first | 9 |
| Matches won bowling first | 6 |
| Average 1st innings Score | 165 |
| Average 2nd innings Score | 137 |
| Highest total recorded | 200/4 (20 Ovs) by AFG vs CAN |
| Lowest total recorded | 80/10 (17.5 Ovs) by PAKW vs ENGW |
| Highest score chased | 183/5 (17.5 Ovs) by NZ vs AFG |
| Lowest score defended | 103/8 (20 Ovs) by WIW vs PAKW |
