The Entire Indian Batting Top-six Crossed 20, and Batting with a Strike Rate of Over 150, Which is A Record in World Cup

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Suryakumar Yadav has revealed that India’s victory over Zimbabwe was backed by detailed video analysis, with the team’s analyst preparing tactical slides ahead of the match. The insight highlights the growing influence of data analytics in modern cricket strategy.

India won a one-sided affair against Zimbabwe in a Super Eight match in the ICC T20 World Cup. The 72-run victory in Chennai boosted India's Net Run Rate (NRR) to stay alive in the tournament. 

India’s Win vs Zimbabwe: Credit to Video Analyst

“I think we wanted to leave everything behind. We didn't think too much about what we did in the league stage or what we did in the last game in Ahmedabad,” said captain Surya, explaining how India found the mental fortitude to bounce back from a bad result. “We had a slide that our video analyst had made for all the batters and all the bowlers, what we did over the year. We saw that slide, took a lot of positivity from that, and when we came here, I think contributions from all the batters, from top to number seven, it was heartening to see.”

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Is India Unhappy Even After Winning?

When asked if there was any room for improvement by broadcast presenter Pommie Mbangwa, a diplomatic Suryakumar Yadav did mention that there was something left to be desired by his bowlers.

“To be very honest, we could have been a little bit more clinical with the ball, but it's fine, at the end of the day win is a win. We'll take it and we’ll move forward. We'll tighten our screws when you go and play West Indies,” he said to start things off.

Mbangwa realised that there was a little bit more the skipper wanted to get off his chest, and urged SKY to provide more details regarding that statement: “I need to probe a bit more here, you seem unhappy in the way you’re smiling and saying that. Tell a little more about what you’re thinking,” said the Zimbabwean commentator.

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“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 batted, they took their own time in the power play and they later on batted very smartly, and credit goes to them as well,” responded Yadav in turn. “But yeah, from the bowling point of view, we could have been a little bit smarter to take those nice options.”

India vs Zimbabwe in T20 WC 2026

India needed a strong performance to bounce back in the tournament and reach the top 4 spot. Men in blue struck 17 sixes as the entirety of the top six played their roles to perfection en route to 256/4, a record-setting T20 World Cup total for the men in blue. After a poor batting performance in the last match, it was much needed. 

India earned the result they wanted from this game, a win, which sets up a virtual quarterfinal contest against the Windies in Kolkata. 

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“I think when we are in such situations, we'll have to be more courageous in taking calls, and there's no other option other than taking that positive route. When we reach Kolkata, definitely we'll sit down and think about that game. But currently, a day off tomorrow, travel, and relax,” concluded Suryakumar.