Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has lauded the way Suryakumar Yadav and Co. bounced back against Zimbabwe in the T20 World Cup 2026 Super Eights after a net-run-rate denting 76-run drubbing against South Africa. The former batter also warned the hosts of the West Indies’ explosive batting threat.

India defeated Zimbabwe by 72 runs at Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium, riding on the back of half-centuries from Abhishek Sharma and Hardik Pandya to set up a virtual quarter-final against the West Indies.

Gavaskar praised the changes India made to the playing XI, bringing in Sanju Samson as an opener to break the left-hand trio at the top of the order. 

"India bounced back strongly from the South Africa loss with a dominant win over Zimbabwe. The margin of that defeat against South Africa would have shaken the players, but they used it positively versus Sikandar Raza’s team and made a strong comeback. After the match against South Africa, there was debate about whether India should make changes in the playing XI or not, and they made two changes and both worked out quite well,” Gavaskar said on JioStar.

“Sanju Samson didn't get a fifty, but gave India a flying start. Earlier, openers were getting ducks, with Abhishek Sharma getting out for zero runs in three games while Ishan Kishan got out without scoring runs against South Africa. Against Zimbabwe, Samson scored 24 runs in quick fashion. He and Abhishek scored at over 10 runs an over in the Powerplay, which was fantastic.

Gavaskar was also impressed with India’s bowling effort, even as the team conceded 184 runs in the defence of 257. He reckoned that the returning Axar Patel did well to keep things tight.

“The bowling improved, too. Axar Patel kept things tight and picked a wicket, which was missing against South Africa. Scoring 256 with most batters getting time in the middle is great. It builds confidence. But India cannot take the West Indies lightly. Sunday's match decides if they go to the semis or wait for the 2028 T20 World Cup,” added Gavaskar.

India will take on West Indies in a virtual knockout at Eden Gardens on March 1 as the winner will advance to the semi-final, while the loser will be eliminated. 

"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. Now West Indies is a completely different challenge. They cannot be taken for granted. Their batters are in top form. Their bowlers are doing well. They punish opposition mistakes and strike at the right time.

"India will need a good plan to handle the West Indies batting threat. Their batters start playing shots from ball one. They do not wait to see if the delivery needs respect. Their way of respecting the ball is by hitting it over the ropes. So, India will have to play smart, come up with plans, and outfox West Indies in a way they do not expect. Sunday's match is surely going to be a cracking one," Gavaskar concluded.