Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], February 26 (ANI): Former India captain Anil Kumble has cautioned India not to "take Zimbabwe lightly" ahead of their upcoming Super 8s fixture of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup on Thursday in Chennai, stressing that the Men in Blue need to play their natural and aggressive brand of cricket
India, after facing a 76-run beating from the Aiden Markram-led South Africa in their first Super 8s match, now find themselves in a do-or-die situation. They not only need to win against Zimbabwe and West Indies, but also need to make sure that they improve their abysmal Net Run Rate (NRR) of -3.800.
Sharing his views on JioHotstar, Kumble said India must continue to play their natural and aggressive brand of cricket, but remain mindful of the challenge Zimbabwe poses.
Kumble highlighted Zimbabwe's recent wins in the T20 WC group-stage, including a victory over Australia and a successful chase of 179 against co-hosts Sri Lanka, as indicators of their growing confidence in high-pressure contests. He also drew attention to the impact of pacers Blessing Muzarabani and Brad Evans, whose ability to extract bounce and movement with the new ball has troubled opposition top orders.
"India need to play their natural, aggressive brand of cricket against Zimbabwe. But Zimbabwe are going to be a tough opponent, and they must be respected. They have delivered some strong performances. They beat Australia. They chased down 179 against Sri Lanka on Sri Lankan soil. They have convincingly beaten Australia. Their top four batters have been in excellent form. Their tall fast bowlers, Blessing Muzarabani and Brad Evans, have been outstanding with the ball, especially in the Powerplay," Kumble said on JioHotstar.
Kumble cautioned the Men in Blue against taking Zimbabwe lightly and suggested the Suryakumar Yadav-led team need to be at the top of their game.
"India cannot take them lightly. They need to be at the top of their game. Any individual who gets going must make it count. You cannot assume the next batter will do the job. In the T20 World Cup, there are no ifs and buts. You have to go out and deliver as an individual. So yes, you hope for the right result, but India must focus on doing what they need to do," Kumble added. (ANI)