Former England captain Michael Vaughan has sent a strong warning to the rest of the teams after India revived their semifinal hopes with a 72-run win over Zimbabwe in their Super 8 clash of the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026 on February 26 in Chennai.
After a high-pressure clash, Vaughan hailed the Men in Blue for perfectly handling the moment. The Indian batters answered the critics who doubted their approach in style. They did exactly what the situation demanded against Zimbabwe at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.
The pitch did not help the bowlers at all. It looked flat and hard. It offered very little movement. Still, Jasprit Bumrah kept things tight. He gave away just 21 runs in his four overs. He did not take a wicket, but he controlled the flow of runs when it mattered most.
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The real star with the ball was Arshdeep Singh. He scalped three wickets and conceded only 24 runs. He attacked with confidence and shifted the pressure back on the Zimbabwe team.
Vaughan denies reading much into India's six bowling options
The defending champions went with six bowling options, and Shivam Dube went for 46 runs in just two overs. With the match almost sealed, Vaughan feels the Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav used that moment to test his sixth bowler Dube, and it was a tactical move, not a mistake.
The Englishman believes that the biggest positive from this Super 8 game was Abhishek Sharma's return to his form. He noted that Sanju Samson looked solid at the top, and Tilak Varma chipped in with a fiery cameo of an unbeaten 44 off 16 balls, which will help them in the coming matches.
Michael Vaughan said on Cricbuzz, "I would not read too much into that. The rest of the bowling was pretty good. The pitch is flat. India has done what they have had to do today.”
The commentator believes that India’s defeat against South Africa served as a wake-up call, as they looked careless and lost focus, but against Zimbabwe, they “switched off with the bat in hand," as they were not just hitting and playing their shots on any ball.
He said, “I have seen this Indian team for long enough now that wants to get on that winning trail of knowing they have had their blip against South Africa. They know the West Indies game is crucial to get through to the semi-finals. I think the West Indies will have to play a great game to beat India.”
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Michael Vaughan backs India against the West Indies
Now, the focus shifts to the important Super 8 clash against the West Indies in Kolkata, which can favour chasing teams. The toss might play a role, but Vaughan feels this Indian side looks strong enough to win even if luck does not go their way.
Vaughan noted, “We know Kolkata; it can be a good chasing ground. It all depends on the pitch, but it can be a good chasing ground. I think India is good enough to get the wrong end of the toss to win that game of cricket. I think the West Indies will probably have to get the right end of the toss to win that game.”
It will be a South Africa-India final, predicts Vaughan
The Englishman said that India is back in the title race at the T20 World Cup 2026 after a strong comeback and even predicted a blockbuster final between the defending champions and South Africa—the repeat of the last edition’s final in Barbados.
Vaughan signed off by saying, “It's been a great day for India. They are back in the race to win the World Cup. You sometimes need a little bit of a blip along the way. They’ll say that they won’t need a blip because they’re playing so well. But I’ll say now this has happened. It would not surprise me at all if it’s a South Africa-India final.”
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