Chennai: Former all-rounder Irfan Pathan has cautioned India against chasing a big gain in net run rate ahead of their crunch Super Eights meeting against Zimbabwe on Thursday, saying that winning must remain the priority in their aim to enter the semi-finals.
Defending champions India will meet Zimbabwe in their second Super Eights game at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, knowing that back-to-back wins will keep their slender semi-final hopes alive after a huge 76-run loss to South Africa has left them in danger of an early exit from the competition.
“I really hope that approach of playing for net run-rate does not come into play at the start of the game. The priority should be winning the game first. So, perform well and try to win. Only then should you think about the run-rate. If you start thinking about chasing the net run-rate of, say, the West Indies, that is almost impossible.
“That would mean beating teams like Zimbabwe and the West Indies by a margin of 100 runs, which is not easy in T20 cricket. So, I sincerely hope that when the Indian team plays these next two matches, the main focus is simply on winning first,” said Pathan on JioStar.
Acknowledging that India’s net run rate of -3.8 is a big setback, Pathan also lauded South Africa for their slower ball strategy paying off very well. “We are now far behind on net run-rate. The West Indies and South Africa have gone miles ahead. So, recovering that run-rate is going to be very difficult.
Though the chatter is huge about Sanju Samson coming into the playing eleven and breaking the monotony of left-handed batters at the top of the order for the clash against Zimbabwe, Pathan felt skipper Suryakumar Yadav should bat at number three.
Meanwhile, England became the first team to seal their semi-final spot at the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 after beating Pakistan, whose chances for semi-final qualification have taken a hit.
