Chennai, February 27: In a disappointing start to the T20 World Cup 2026, Team India triumphed over Zimbabwe by 72 runs on Thursday at the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium. However, the match was overshadowed by a dismal record set by Zimbabwe’s fast bowler, Tinotenda Maposa, who made his T20 World Cup debut.
Maposa recorded the second most expensive over in T20 World Cup debut history, conceding 23 runs in his first over, which included a no-ball and two wides. Indian batsman Sanju Samson capitalized on this over, hitting one six and two fours.
The record for the most expensive over in a T20 World Cup debut still belongs to Steve Tikolo, who gave away 25 runs against Sri Lanka in 2007.
Batting first after losing the toss, India scored 256 runs for the loss of four wickets in their 20 overs. Abhishek Sharma led the charge with a powerful 55 runs off 30 balls, while Hardik Pandya played a blistering knock of 50 runs from just 23 balls. Tilak Varma also made a significant contribution, scoring 44 runs off 16 balls in the final overs.
Chasing a target of 257 runs, Zimbabwe managed only 184 runs, losing six wickets in their 20 overs. Brian Bennett was the standout performer for Zimbabwe, scoring 97 runs off 59 balls, but lacked support from his teammates. For India, Arshdeep Singh excelled with the ball, taking three wickets for just 24 runs in his four overs, while Varun Chakravarthy and Axar Patel claimed one wicket each.
Bhupendra Singh Chundawat is a seasoned technology journalist with over 22 years of experience in the media industry. He specializes in covering the global technology landscape, with a deep focus on manufacturing trends and the geopolitical impact on tech companies. Currently serving as the Editor at Udaipur Kiran, his insights are shaped by decades of hands-on reporting and editorial leadership in the fast-evolving world of technology.
