India take on Zimbabwe in a must-win T20 World Cup 2026 Super Eight game at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, in Chennai on Thursday. After losing to South Africa by a huge margin of 76 runs, Suryakumar Yadav and Co. find their semi-final hopes hanging by a thread. They not only need to win their remaining two matches against Zimbabwe and West Indies, but also hope for some results to go in their favour. All in all, India cannot afford any slip-ups from this point.
The team plays against Zimbabwe at Chepauk in a night game. The venue offers considerable amount of dew in the second innings during this period, making batting easier and bowling equally tough under such conditions.
To maintain fairness throughout the game, the Chepauk Stadium is using a new imported chemical known as ‘Dew Cure’ to fight the challenge, said a report in The Indian Express. Giving details, it added that the chemical has been brought from the United States.
‘Dew Cure’ was sprayed on the ground on Tuesday and Wednesday, with the aim to repeat it on Thursday afternoon as well so that it cuts the dew during the night game between India and Zimbabwe, the report explained further.
Humidity levels are forecast to sit between 80 and 90 percent during the game. This means that the outfield could turn smooth and the ball damp by the halfway mark of the second innings.
Traditionally, Chepauk has been a surface where spinners hold sway. The pitch grips, the ball turns, and batting requires patience. Yet once moisture coats the grass and the white ball begins to skid, that advantage softens. Length balls come on quicker. Mistimed shots travel further. The margin for error shrinks for bowlers, not batters.
The toss, then, becomes more than ceremonial. Captains in Chennai under lights almost always prefer to chase when heavy dew is expected. Defending a total with a wet ball is a different craft altogether. Grip becomes unreliable, slower balls lose bite, and yorkers are harder to execute.
India and Zimbabwe arrive at Chepauk having lost their respective Super Eight matches. The defending champions were dismantled by South Africa, conceding 76 runs more than they could chase. Zimbabwe fared even worse, overwhelmed by West Indies in a 107-run defeat that exposed gaps with both bat and ball.