Chennai, Feb 27 (.) Sunil Gavaskar hailed India’s strong comeback against Zimbabwe in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 but cautioned that the decisive clash against the West Indies national cricket team will be a far tougher test.
Speaking on JioHotstar, Gavaskar said the heavy loss to South Africa could have dented confidence, but India responded positively against Sikandar Raza’s side.
“India bounced back strongly from the South Africa loss with a dominant win over Zimbabwe. The margin of that defeat would have shaken the players, but they used it positively and made a strong comeback,” Gavaskar said.
He pointed out that the two changes made to the playing XI proved effective. Sanju Samson, though not converting his start into a fifty, provided the early momentum India had been missing.
“Earlier, openers were getting ducks. Abhishek Sharma had three zeros and Ishan Kishan got out without scoring against South Africa. Against Zimbabwe, Samson scored 24 in quick fashion. He and Abhishek went at over 10 runs an over in the Powerplay, which was fantastic,” he observed.
Gavaskar also noted the improved bowling display, highlighting Axar Patel’s tighter lines and wicket-taking contribution, an area that had lacked bite in the previous game.
India piled up 256 for 4, the highest total of this edition and the second highest in the tournament’s history, with contributions from all of their top six batters. Abhishek Sharma (55) and Sanju Samson (24) set the platform, Ishan Kishan (38) and captain Suryakumar Yadav (33) sustained the tempo, while Hardik Pandya (50) and Tilak Varma (44) delivered the late flourish.
Praising Abhishek’s innings, Gavaskar said the left-hander displayed maturity beyond his years.
“We know how good Abhishek Sharma is as a batter. He silenced his doubters with this knock of 55. There was a method to his batting. He respected the off-spinner, didn’t take risks and played in a calm and composed manner. I was surprised to see him defend the ball, we don’t usually see that from him,” Gavaskar remarked.
He described the knock as a learning curve for the youngster, adding that every cricketer goes through lean patches and growth comes from adapting during such phases.
Looking ahead to Sunday’s virtual knockout in Kolkata, Gavaskar stressed that the West Indies pose a completely different challenge.
“As they say, why fix things if it ain’t broke? But India were broken against South Africa. They realised they needed a right-left combination at the top. Learning from the previous game was very important,” he said.
“West Indies cannot be taken lightly. Their batters are in top form and their bowlers are doing well. They punish mistakes and start attacking from ball one. India will need clear plans and will have to outfox them. Sunday’s match is going to be a cracking one.”
The winner of the contest will secure the final semi-final berth from the group.
. VAN .