Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza evoked memories of Kapil Dev, portrayed by Ranveer Singh in 83, ahead of the T20 World Cup Super 8 clash against India in Chennai, vowing Zimbabwe will give their all to reach the semi-finals.
Zimbabwe face must-win clash against India
Zimbabwe’s unbeaten run in the 2026 edition came to an end after a huge 107-run defeat to the West Indies in their Super 8 opener at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. With a daunting 255 to chase down, Zimbabwe’s innings lasted only 17.4 overs as they managed only 147. As a result, the net run-rate has taken a hit and the game against India makes a must-win one for them.
In a video shared on Instagram, Star Sports shared a clip of Ranveer Singh from the movie when he replied to a question ‘What else we here for?” when asked if they are here to win the World Cup.
During the presser, Raza stated:
“How many of you have picked Zimbabwe to be a semi-finalist? Clearly 1. So, maybe we haven’t done enough yet and these are things that motivate us. These are the challenges we look forward to. I don’t know if we will make it or not. Insha Allah, we will. But one thing I can assure you as a Zimbabwean captain and the team is we will give it our best shot. The respect you speak about is only one guy put his hand up that Zimbabwe will get to the semi-final. Clearly, we have done enough but not well enough or not enough for all of you to raise your hands. Hopefully, I’d like to see that one day.”
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“Both teams have lost” – Sikandar Raza
Following the loss to the West Indies, Raza asserted that Team India had also lost to South Africa in their Super 8 game; hence, both sides will have a point to prove.
“We thought when we batted, it will stay true but it started to turn. But it was a good learning game. There was a time that myself and Tony were saying that even if the RR gets to 18 we can get it. Motie’s spell changed the game. But at this ground, you are never out of the game. Certainly, even though there are bruises, but we will look to win and earn respect. Both teams have lost and we will try and be better.”
India and Zimbabwe last faced one another in a T20 World Cup in 2022.
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