India Dominate Zimbabwe at Chepauk, but Shivam Dube Ends Up with Unwanted Record

India produced a ruthless all-round display to crush Zimbabwe in their Super Eight clash of the T20 World Cup at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. The emphatic win strengthened India’s campaign in the tournament, but the night also saw an uncomfortable milestone for Shivam Dube, who ended up on the wrong side of the record books. Batting first, India unleashed an explosive batting performance that left the opposition reeling. The top order laid a strong platform before the middle and lower order accelerated mercilessly, pushing the total beyond 250 runs — one of the highest team scores in T20 World Cup history. The Indian batters showed no mercy, striking boundaries at will and capitalising on loose deliveries to set an intimidating target.

In reply, Zimbabwe fought back with determination, highlighted by a fluent and aggressive knock from Brian Bennett. His innings kept Zimbabwe in the contest for a while and entertained the Chepauk crowd with fearless strokeplay. However, the sheer size of the target meant the chase was always going to be a steep climb. Indian bowlers eventually tightened the screws, picking up regular wickets and ensuring the match ended in a one-sided result.

While India celebrated a massive victory, the match proved personally tough for Shivam Dube. Used as a bowling option, Dube was taken apart by Zimbabwe’s batters and conceded 46 runs in just two overs. This expensive spell left him with an unwanted and humbling record, as he became the bowler to give away the most runs in the opening two overs of a spell in a T20 World Cup match. Despite his struggles, India’s commanding batting performance meant the team result was never in doubt.

The victory came at a crucial moment for India, who were keen to bounce back strongly in the Super Eight stage. The dominant win not only boosted their net run rate but also sent a strong message to other contenders in the tournament.