Ahead of the India vs Zimbabwe match in Chennai, Irfan Pathan urges the defending champions to play their natural game. Instead of focusing on the net run rate, ensure winning the game, the former India cricketer suggested to the Men in Blue.
On the evening of February 26, the Suryakumar Yadav-led team will be up against Zimbabwe in a must-win match. After being defeated by South Africa by 76 runs, India will have to defeat Zimbabwe to remain in contention in the T20 World Cup 2026.
Before qualifying for the semi-finals, the co-host of the tournament will have to meet some criteria. First of all, they need to win in their remaining two matches, and the second point is to improve the Net Run Rate (NRR). On paper, India looks better than its rival Zimbabwe.
But the Chevrons proved their class by defeating Australia and Sri Lanka in the group stage earlier. On the other side, the batting of the Men in Blue has caused worries among the fans. Against South Africa, apart from Shivam Dube, none of the batters showed any intention to win the game.
Confirm the win first: Irfan Pathan
The same can happen today because of the extra pressure. To keep the players calm and collective, Irfan Pathan advises thinking about the win first, then about the Net Run Rate.
"I really hope that the approach of playing for the net run-rate does not come into play at the start of the game. The priority should be winning the game first. So, perform well and try to win. Only then should you think about the run-rate", Irfan Pathan said while speaking on JioStar’s Follow the Blues programme.
"If you start thinking about chasing the net run-rate of, say, the West Indies, that is almost impossible. That would mean beating teams like Zimbabwe and the West Indies by a margin of 100 runs, which is not easy in T20 cricket. So, I sincerely hope that when the Indian team plays these next two matches, the main focus is simply on winning first", he added.
Irfan Pathan suggested the team management should promote Suryakumar Yadav to No.3
The former Team India international also stated that captain Suryakumar Yadav should come to bat early against Zimbabwe. Pathan, who is well aware of the inconsistent opening pair, believes Yadav can make a difference if he promotes himself in the batting order.
"I understand the conservative approach, especially because Abhishek has been getting out early. In the last game, Ishan Kishan got out in the first over. You do not want to expose Suryakumar Yadav at number three when he is so effective in the middle overs, striking at 160", Pathan said explaining his theory to send Yadav after the fall of the first wicket.
"If something goes wrong with the new ball, just one good delivery can get him out. So, I understand the thinking. However, they still need to consider batting Suryakumar Yadav at number three to break the monotony of having three left-handers at the top."
Read More: Irfan Pathan accuses Hardik Pandya of blocking Kuldeep Yadav’s Playing XI spot in T20 World Cup 2026
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