Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has applauded the manner in which India responded to their heavy defeat against South Africa in the T20 World Cup 2026 Super Eights, while cautioning them about the West Indies’ explosive batting threat ahead of a virtual knockout.

India, led by Suryakumar Yadav, had suffered a 76-run hammering against South Africa that dented their Net Run Rate. However, they bounced back emphatically with a 72-run win over Zimbabwe at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, posting 256 on the board courtesy of half-centuries from Abhishek Sharma and Hardik Pandya.

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The victory has set up a do-or-die clash against the West Indies.

Sunil Gavaskar praised the team management for making bold changes to the playing XI, particularly promoting Sanju Samson to open to break the left-handed combination at the top.

“ India bounced back strongly from the South Africa loss with a dominant win over Zimbabwe. That margin of defeat would have shaken the players, but they responded positively,” Gavaskar said on JioStar.

While Samson did not convert his start into a fifty, his quickfire 24 provided much-needed momentum. Alongside Abhishek Sharma, he ensured India scored at over 10 runs per over in the Powerplay, a significant improvement after previous struggles at the top.

“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,” Gavaskar added.

Despite conceding 184 while defending 257, Gavaskar felt the bowling unit looked sharper. He singled out Axar Patel for keeping things tight and picking up a crucial wicket.

“The bowling improved too. Axar kept things tight and made an impact, which was missing against South Africa. Scoring 256 with most batters spending time in the middle builds confidence,” he noted.

India will now face the West Indies at Eden Gardens on March 1, with a semifinal berth at stake.

Gavaskar, however, warned that the Caribbean side pose a completely different challenge.

“West Indies cannot be taken lightly. Their batters are in top form and their bowlers are executing plans well. They punish mistakes and strike at the right time,” he said.

He highlighted their aggressive approach with the bat.

“Their batters start attacking from ball one. They don’t wait to assess conditions, they believe in hitting their way through. India will need smart plans to outfox them in ways they do not expect. Sunday’s match is surely going to be a cracking one.”

With everything on the line, India’s ability to adapt once again could determine whether they march into the semifinals or bow out of the tournament.