Team India’s T20 World Cup 2026 journey continued with a convincing 72-run thrashing of Zimbabwe in Chennai. Yet, the headlines belong to Shivam Dube for all the wrong reasons – surrendering 26 runs in one over, the costliest by an Indian in the tournament’s history.
India’s innings was a spectacle: 256 for 4 in 20 overs, eclipsing their previous best and ranking second overall. Abhishek Sharma’s explosive 55 off 30 balls marked his first T20 WC half-century. Hardik Pandya (50* off 23) and Tilak Varma (44* off 16) provided the finishing touches.
Zimbabwe’s chase faltered at 184/6. Brian Bennett’s unbeaten 97 off 59 was valiant but solitary; Sikandar Raza made 31. Arshdeep Singh dismantled them with 3 wickets for 24 runs in three overs. Varun Chakravarthy, Axar Patel, and even Dube (1 wicket) contributed.
Dube’s moment of infamy came in the 15th over from skipper Suryakumar Yadav. Leaking 26 runs, his spell totaled 46 runs from two overs – worse than Yuvraj’s 25 in 2007 against New Zealand. Zimbabwe’s batters pounced on his erratic bowling.
A win is a win, but Dube’s lapse highlights the fine margins in T20 cricket.