Following India‘s heavy 76-run defeat to South Africa, the team’s strategy for their must-win T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8 game against Zimbabwe in Chennai on February 26, 2026, has become a major talking point.

Two-time World Cup-winning captain Ricky Ponting and former India coach Ravi Shastri have offered sharp tactical advice to help the defending champions keep their campaign alive, specifically addressing the controversial exclusion of vice-captain Axar Patel. This loss snapped a 12-match winning streak, creating an urgent need for the Indian think-tank to resolve their selection puzzles before wrapping up the Super Eight stage against the West Indies in Kolkata this Sunday.

Ricky Ponting’s plea for simplicity and the best XI for India’s Super 8 game vs Zimbabwe

Ponting has urged the Indian management to stop over-complicating selection based on opponent matchups and instead return to the fundamentals of squad building. He believes the decision to bench vice-captain Axar Patel to avoid bowling a left-arm spinner to South Africa’s left-handers was a tactical error that ignored the core value of fielding the strongest possible team. Ponting emphasized that a captain’s primary skill lies in the ‘art’ of managing world-class bowlers effectively within a game, rather than completely removing them from the XI based on the handedness of the opposition batters.

“Listening to the commentary, the reason Axar didn’t play is because of the left-handers in the opposition side. But there’s still some right-handers there. It just comes down to the art of the captain of being able to use Axar at the right time. I would be going back to the basics. I’d be just looking at their lineup. Who’s our best XI for the conditions in Chennai?” Ponting was quoted as saying by ICC.

Also READ: T20 World Cup 2026: Rinku Singh returns home due to family emergency; Sanju Samson unleashes power at Chepauk nets

The case for Kuldeep Yadav’s wrist-spin variety

Beyond the debate over Axar, Ponting is pushing for the return of Kuldeep Yadav to the starting lineup for the Chepauk clash. He argues that Kuldeep’s unique ability to spin the ball both ways makes him a ‘matchup-proof’ asset who can trouble any batter regardless of whether they are left or right-handed. This variety is particularly lethal on subcontinental tracks where the extra bounce and deceptive ‘wrong-ones’ of a wrist-spinner can create wicket-taking opportunities that traditional finger spinners might miss, especially when defending a total.

“If it has Kuldeep Yadav in it, that’s the other one that I’d be thinking about bringing back because it doesn’t matter with him if it’s left-hand or right-hand. He can bowl wrong ones and spin the ball away from the left-hand outside edge of both those batters.” Ponting concluded.

Also READ: T20 World Cup 2026 – Ravi Shastri proposes tactical shake-up in India’s playing XI for Super 8 game against Zimbabwe

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India’s coach Gautam Gambhir, left, Jasprit Bumrah during a practice session ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 cricket match between India and Zimbabwe, at M. A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

Zimbabwe all-rounder Ryan Burl said his team is aware of the task ahead against India but believes the pressure of a must-win T20 World Cup match could affect the hosts when the two sides meet on Thursday.The Group 1 Super Eights clash at the MA Chidambaram Stadium is crucial for both teams after India lost to South Africa and Zimbabwe went down to the West Indies.“Yeah, it is a must-win match for us, but it’s also a must-win game for India. There’s obviously a lot at stake here, being a World Cup game and if we are to progress to the semifinals, we both want to look at winning tomorrow’s game,” Burl said at the pre-match press conference.“Obviously, we don’t get to play India a lot, so it’s something that we really have been looking forward to. Playing India in India is a challenge in itself. They obviously got a home ground advantage, but the added pressure of both teams needing to win tomorrow’s game.“Pressure does funny things to teams. And obviously it being a World Cup, there’s that added pressure as well. We hope to execute our process tomorrow,” he added.Burl said Zimbabwe’s bowling options could help them counter India’s batting.“We’re doing a lot of our homework. Obviously, India’s got that firepower where they obviously go really hard in the power play and if they don’t lose wickets, they’ve got guys that can go hard throughout. We’ve obviously got a lot of options (in bowling) and that’s probably one of the advantages of the Zimbabwe lineup.”“We’ve got left-arm seamer, right-arm seamer, we’ve got a couple of leg-spinners, we’ve got an off spinner, we’ve got a left arm offie. So, we do have quite a lot of depth and I think it will probably just come down to what are the match-ups depending on the batters that are out there and, obviously, the combinations that we do look to go for,” he added.The all-rounder said the team has moved on from the loss to the West Indies.“To be honest, I think we can only take positives from that defeat. It sounds weird, but we hadn’t really had a bad game until then. So there is massive learning in that.“And in saying that, India obviously also had their bad game against South Africa. So we’re both looking to bounce back, and no better place than to do that tomorrow,” he said.Burl also confirmed that captain Sikandar Raza is fit despite taking a blow in the previous match against West Indies.“Sikandar Raza is 100% playing. Good luck telling him that he’s not going to play against India. Yeah, he’s going to be playing,” he added.

In February 2026, the company secured $30 billion in its latest funding round, pushing the valuation of the Claude chatbot developer to $380 billion. (AI image)

Anthropic – it’s a name that has taken the technology world by storm globally – and its impact on Indian IT stocks has been significant. Anthropic – now valued at around $380 billion – has quickly emerged as a dominant force in the global technology landscape.What stands out even more is the pace at which the company has grown. Founded in 2021, Anthropic is only about five years old but has already established itself as one of the most highly valued players in the artificial intelligence sector. This comes at a time of artificial intelligence’s dramatic growth and its increasing capacity to automate substantial portions of the IT services industry. Anthropic’s valuation now exceeds the combined market capitalization of India’s publicly listed IT firms. By comparison, major companies such as Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys, Wipro, HCL Technologies and Tech Mahindra together are worth roughly $240 billion, according to an ET report.In February 2026, the company secured $30 billion in its latest funding round, pushing the valuation of the Claude chatbot developer to $380 billion – more than double its previous level – and highlighting strong investor enthusiasm for both the firm and the broader AI space.Anthropic describes itself as an artificial intelligence research and safety-focused organisation dedicated to developing AI systems that are dependable, transparent and controllable. One of its distinguishing strengths has been its focus on coding-oriented models. Its Claude Code tools have attracted significant interest from software developers, helping the company gain momentum in the rapidly expanding enterprise AI segment.The swift advancement of artificial intelligence – particularly Anthropic’s recent innovations – has unsettled Indian technology stocks. The impact has been sharp, with the Nifty IT index dropping about 21% in February, marking its steepest monthly fall since the global financial crisis of 2008.Selling pressure on IT stocks had begun mounting earlier in the month after Anthropic introduced a new artificial intelligence tool aimed at automating a broad range of professional activities. The launch revived worries that advances in AI could gradually erode the profit margins and long-established advantages enjoyed by traditional IT services firms.The company behind the Claude chatbot said the new system is capable of handling multiple legal-related tasks, including reviewing contracts, sorting non-disclosure agreements, managing compliance processes, preparing legal briefs and generating standardised replies. Investors have become increasingly concerned that artificial intelligence could significantly alter the competitive dynamics of the software and IT services sector, potentially undermining both profitability and market standing.Sectors that were previously viewed as relatively protected from AI disruption – such as legal work, data analysis and customer support — are now drawing closer scrutiny. If automation spreads across these areas, the extensive IT services ecosystem built around delivering such functions could come under pressure. Backed by Google and Amazon, Anthropic has rapidly expanded its business, stating that its annualised revenue run rate has reached $14 billion.Revenue on a run-rate basis from Claude Code alone has risen to more than $2.5 billion, more than doubling since the start of 2026. The company said business subscriptions for Claude Code have increased fourfold since the beginning of the year, with enterprise customers now contributing more than half of the product’s total revenue.Anthropic has also intensified its focus on corporate clients with products such as the Claude Cowork AI agent, which is designed to perform computer-based tasks typically handled by white-collar employees.(Disclaimer: Recommendations and views on the stock market, other asset classes or personal finance management tips given by experts are their own. These opinions do not represent the views of The Times of India)

NEW DELHI: Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta, on Wednesday, met the group of women from Arunachal Pradesh who were subjected to racial discrimination and derogatory remarks and assured strict action against those involved in the act.In a post on X, Gupta reiterated that Delhi is a city of diversity and that there is no place for hatred, as she wrote, “Today, I met our young friends from the North East who were affected by the recent distressing incident in Delhi. They are resilient, courageous, and full of promise. I have assured them of my full support during this difficult time.”She further promised strict actions against the racist miscreants, stating, “I want to make it clear that Delhi is a city of diversity, respect, and mutual dignity. Strictest action will be taken against the miscreants involved in this incident. There is absolutely no place for hatred, discrimination, intimidation, or racial abuse in Delhi. Such behaviour is unacceptable and will not be tolerated under any circumstances.“Further highlighting the sensitivity of the matter, she urged not to politicise the incident and said that the dignity, privacy, and future of the students should remain the priority.She wrote, “I urge everyone not to politicise this sensitive matter. The dignity, safety, and future of our young students must remain above all else. I also request that all concerned respect the privacy of the young students and their families. We must give them the space, support, and assurance they need during this time.”Earlier in a video address announcing her meeting with the students, Gupta had stated that she intends to engage with the broader Northeast community in Delhi to address systemic issues and ensure their safety through potential policy interventions.“I will meet not only those sisters but also other residents from the Northeast to listen to their problems and provide solutions. If any policy changes are required, we will implement them. For any problems or suggestions, you can DM me directly,” Gupta said.Her meeting with the northeastern citizens came after three women from Arunachal Pradesh were allegedly subject to racial abuse and criminal intimidation in South Delhi’s Malviya Nagar area. Delhi Police on Wednesday said that the accused Ruby Jain and her husband, Harsh, have been arrested in connection with the matter.Delhi Police stated that, during the course of the investigation, relevant provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act were invoked based on the material available on record.

The high-stakes atmosphere of the T20 World Cup Super 8s turned chilly for Team India in Ahmedabad, as a clinical South African side exposed significant cracks in the Men in Blue’s armor. While the scoreboard told a story of a heavy defeat, the post-match discourse has shifted toward the dugout. Former cricketer turned commentator Sanjay Manjrekar has voiced sharp, sarcastic criticism regarding Head Coach Gautam Gambhir’s tactical maneuvers, specifically questioning the “fix-it-all” approach to all-rounder Washington Sundar.

With India’s semi-final hopes now dangling by a thread, the defeat has ignited a fierce debate over team selection and the ability of India’s middle order to handle sophisticated pace variations.

Sanjay Manjrekar criticises Gautam Gambhir’s tactic of picking Washington Sundar

In the aftermath of the loss, Manjrekar did not hold back while analysing the tactical collapses on CNN-News18’s Stump Mic. His primary target was Gambhir’s heavy reliance on Sundar as a tactical “Swiss Army knife,” a move that Manjrekar feels is being overplayed to the detriment of the team’s balance.

“Kailas Jeevan, there used to be a medicine by that name back in the day. If you had a headache, you would use it. If you had a stomach issue, you would take it. It was an all-in-one remedy. Gautam Gambhir seems to have an all-in-one solution for everything too—Washington Sundar,” Manjrekar remarked with a touch of irony.

The critique centered on the decision to promote Sundar to No. 5, a move that pushed proven finishers like Rinku Singh and Hardik Pandya further down the order. Manjrekar argued that this reshuffle created unnecessary pressure, stating, “If there’s a batting problem, Washi. If there’s a bowling problem, Washi… It was just too much.” This tactical rigidity, according to Manjrekar, suggests a lack of confidence in specialized roles when the stakes are highest.

Also WATCH: Gautam Gambhir shares stern words with Abhishek Sharma prior to high-stakes T20 World Cup Super 8 match vs Zimbabwe

South Africa steamroll India in T20 World Cup Super 8 clash

While the selection drama unfolded off the field, the action on the pitch revealed a technical vulnerability in the Indian lineup. South Africa’s bowling unit, led by a disciplined Lungi Ngidi, dismantled the Indian batting order not through raw speed, but through masterfully disguised slower deliveries. The Ahmedabad surface, which offered grip for the change-ups, became a graveyard for India’s aggressive intent.

Manjrekar highlighted that the struggles against pace variations are becoming a recurring theme, particularly for the captain. “Forget fast bowling, focus on playing the slower balls. The captain [Suryakumar Yadav] is struggling the most against slower deliveries,” he added.  This assessment rings true after Ngidi and the South African attack repeatedly forced mistimed shots from India’s top and middle order.

The road ahead is now a steep climb. India must face Zimbabwe in a must-win encounter to keep their semi-final dreams alive. Beyond just a victory, they require a massive margin to repair a Net Run Rate (NRR) that took a severe hit following the Ahmedabad collapse. As Gambhir faces his first major tactical crisis in the Super 8s, the pressure is on to see if he will stick to his all-in-one remedies or pivot to a more traditional structure.

Also READ: T20 World Cup 2026: Sunil Gavaskar slams star India batter following humiliating defeat against South Africa