India thrash Zimbabwe at T20 World Cup as South Africa secure semi-final spot

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/india/fcOzl2uI/"]India[/a] posted a mammoth 256-4 and then restricted [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/zimbabwe/pCUnmKBm/"]Zimbabwe[/a] to 184-6 in Chennai to make their clash with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/west-indies/jTD1lMfO/"]West Indies[/a] on Sunday a winner-takes-all decider for the last semi-final berth.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/south-africa/tUhlKzIm/"]South Africa[/a] hammered the West Indies by nine wickets earlier in Ahmedabad.[/p][embed guid="51384ee0-d7a6-4011-a6d1-68e287d44f85" url="https://x.com/T20WorldCup/status/2027068869509324908" social-type="twitter" /][p]At Chennai's M.A. Chidambaram stadium, opener Abhishek Sharma blasted 55 and Hardik Pandya an unbeaten 50 as India piled up the second-highest total in the history of the tournament after being invited to bat first.[/p][p]Zimbabwe, who stunned [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/australia/OxG0JfXg/"]Australia[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/sri-lanka/zahH5UHg/"]Sri Lanka[/a] to reach the Super Eights, were never in the chase despite a brisk start as the asking rate kept rising.[/p][p]Opener Brian Bennett was not out 97, the highest individual score by a Zimbabwean in T20 World Cup history, as his side exited the semi-final reckoning with a game still to play.[/p][embed guid="51b915ab-f544-46ef-b643-408a0ba13578" url="https://x.com/ESPNcricinfo/status/2027070169387008263" social-type="twitter" /][p]India's left-arm quick Arshdeep Singh took 3-24 from his four overs.[/p][p]Zimbabwe's bowlers conceded 510 runs in 40 overs in two Super Eights matches after West Indies posted 254-6 against the tournament's surprise packages on Monday.[/p][p]Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza won the toss and opted to field for the second match running, and again saw his bowlers hit to all parts.[/p][p]Left-handed Abhishek, who had struggled with three ducks in four innings in this tournament, hit four fours and four sixes to return to form.[/p][p]Pandya and left-handed Tilak Varma, who hit a 16-ball 44, put on an unbeaten stand of 84 at the end.[/p][p]But India ended just short of the T20 World Cup record 260-6 made by Sri Lanka against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/kenya/x4Sxjako/"]Kenya[/a] in 2007.[/p][embed guid="fd7c4ea2-5089-4d68-82f0-741cbfa833ec" url="https://x.com/T20WorldCup/status/2027027770182967733" social-type="twitter" /][p]Wicketkeeper-batsman Sanju Samson returned to the team to break the left-handed opening combination of Abhishek and Ishan Kishan and handed India a flying start.[/p][p]Samson fell for 24 off Blessing Muzarabani but Abhishek kept up the charge, reaching his fifty off 26 balls in a 72-run stand with Kishan (38).[/p][p]Abhishek fell to Tinotenda Maposa, caught at long-on, but his knock laid the platform for a big total.[/p][p]Skipper Suryakumar Yadav hit 33 off 13 balls.[/p][p]Pandya finished with a flourish with two sixes off Brad Evans to get to 50 on the final ball of the innings.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/cricket/india-fcOzl2uI/zimbabwe-pCUnmKBm/?mid=zPItDNxq"]Check out the scorecard of the game[/a][/b][/p]