India are expected to make changes to their playing eleven for the upcoming match against Zimbabwe, which is scheduled to be played on Thursday, February 25 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. Washington Sundar and Sanju Samson are fighting for a place in the playing eleven, who are slightly ahead.
India are facing immense pressure after losing to South Africa in Ahmedabad in their opening match of the Super Eights. The defeat has put the focus on his batting, with the focus being on replacing the left-handed heavy down the order. To remain in the race for the semi-finals, India will have to win both its remaining Super Eight matches.
Sanju Samson ahead of Washington Sundar in the race for selection
According to Times of India journalist Sahil Malhotra, India are set to make some clear calls for the upcoming match. Akshar Patel is expected to return to the playing eleven, while Tilak Verma is likely to retain his place.
Rinku Singh’s chances of playing are very slim after coming back home due to his father’s health. As a result, the team management is likely to choose a player between Washington Sundar and Sanju Samson.
Samson seems to be a little ahead in the race, having been seen practicing wicketkeeping last evening. It is also noteworthy that India’s top three are all left-handed batsmen, which has allowed opposition teams to attack with off-spinners right from the start.
Tilak Verma likely to retain his place, Axar Patel returns to the playing eleven. Now there is a possibility of a call between Vashi and Samson. The chances of Rinku Singh playing in one of them are very less. It looks like Samson is a little ahead. Yesterday evening he also did keeping drill.
– Sahil Malhotra (@Sahil_Malhotra1) FEbRYouARthis 25, 2026
India changed the batting order before the important match
India are still looking for answers at the top of the batting order. Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan and Tilak Verma have not given a strong start together, leaving the team management unsure about the best combination.
The selectors are now considering different options. They can send Sanju Samson back up or reshuffle the line-up by promoting Suryakumar Yadav.
The match will be played on center wicket, which should be more suitable for the batsmen than the slower pitches seen earlier in the tournament. Dew could also play a role, especially if India bowl second. The Men in Blue will also need to win by a big margin to improve their Net Run Rate (NRR).
Sanju Samson’s only appearance for India in T20 World Cup 2026
Sanju Samson participated in only one match in the T20 World Cup 2026. He returned to the team against Namibia when Abhishek Sharma was unavailable due to a stomach infection and made an impact by scoring 22 runs off eight balls.
Tilak Verma has struggled to find rhythm in the tournament. He has scored 107 runs in five matches at an average of 21.40 and strike rate of 118.88.
Washington Sundar played in India’s last two matches, while Axar Patel featured in the first three. In the current tournament, Akshar has taken six wickets in three matches, while Sundar is yet to take a single wicket in two matches.
Overall, Sundar has taken 51 wickets in 60 T20I matches at an average of 23.80 and an economy rate of 6.98. With the bat, he has scored 265 runs at an average of 16.56 and strike rate of 132.50.
Also read: Rinku Singh out of T20 World Cup 2026? Sitanshu Kotak gives official update
