Mumbai, Feb 23 (.) Zimbabwe won the toss and elected to bowl first against the West Indies in the 44th Match of the Super 8, Group 1 stage of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 at the Wankhede Stadium here on Monday.
The crucial clash is scheduled to begin at 7:00 pm local time, with both teams eyeing a vital win to strengthen their position in the Super 8 standings.
Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza said the decision was influenced by the venue’s chasing record. “We’re going to have a bowl first. Looking at the history, it’s a ground that’s a lot suitable for chasing. Want to give our seamers a chance for early inroads. Ngarava replaces Masakadza. It’s an honour to play one of the champions at an iconic ground like this,” Raza said at the toss.
The West Indies skipper, Shai Hope admitted he would have opted to field as well. “Would’ve probably bowled first as well. We got good history behind us at this ground but we have to play well on the day. Shepherd comes in, Chase misses out,” Hope said.
Zimbabwe have brought in Richard Ngarava in place of Masakadza to bolster their pace attack, while the West Indies included Romario Shepherd in the playing XI, leaving out Roston Chase.
With both sides fighting to stay in contention for a semifinal berth, the contest promises to be a high-stakes encounter at one of India’s most iconic cricket venues.
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