What India need to do to turn NRR into positive in T20 World Cup 2026?
A look at the scenarios India must achieve to push their Net Run Rate into positive territory in the T20 World Cup 2026 and stay in contention for qualification.
Last Updated: 07.36 PM, Feb 24, 2026
India will play their next two matches against Zimbabwe and West Indies in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026. While the matches will be quite interesting and thrilling, they are the most important games for the Men in Blue. After losing against South Africa by a huge margin, their NRR has taken a hit. Currently, India's NRR is -3.80 while West Indies have +5.35 and South Africa have +3.80.
There are chances that even if India win their next two matches, they might get knocked out of the tournament due to the NRR since the other two teams have better than them. Hence, in the upcoming matches, India will have to focus on winning the games with huge margins to improve their NRR.
Meanwhile, India will also have to hope that South Africa will win their next two matches, especially against West Indies. Then it will be beneficial for India and a path will open for them to qualify for the knockouts. India vs Zimbabwe match is schedul ed on February 26 while India vs West Indies match is scheduled on March 1.
Similarly, South Africa vs West Indies is on February 26 while South Africa vs Zimbabwe is on March 1. All the matches are co-related to each other and on the same dates as well.
How can India make NRR positive?
Since India will definitely have to win their next match against Zimbabwe, they can do a few things to get their NRR positive. For instance, if India are batting first, they'll have to score above 200 runs and win the match by almost 77 runs. If India are chasing and the target is around 120 runs, they'll have to chase by 8.4 overs.
While the scenarios seem extreme, the Men in Blue will have to make it happen to make their NRR positive that will help them qualify for the semi-finals. The hosts will have to play their best game possible to make it to the knockouts.
Where to watch India vs Zimbabwe match?
Cricket fans in India can watch the India vs Zimbabwe match on February 26 online on JioHotstar, via OTTplay Premium.