India and Zimbabwe wlll play in Chennai on February 26 in T20 WC Super 8s game.
With the city's temperatures rising over the week, dew appeared to be a potential concern at the site where India is in a must-win situation. However, this may not be the case on Thursday.
When the Chepauk outfield was resurfaced ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup, the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association imported the chemical, which is widely used in Major League Baseball stadiums.
On Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons, the groundstaff sprayed 'Dew Cure' mixed with water on the outfield to prepare it for the fixture. The goal is to spray it again on Thursday afternoon so that it is fully effective by the time the match begins.
“Once Dew Cure is sprayed, it ensures that there is no moisture on the grass leaves. As soon as it gets wet, it will be absorbed, and the grass leaves will turn dry,” sources familiar with the process told The Indian Express.
On Wednesday, after a lengthy training session, India stayed back to see if dew might play a role. It is understood that they were pleased with the conditions and may not be concerned.
It is understood that 'Dew Cure' may be utilized in the semifinals and finals as well, although no official confirmation has yet been received.
However, when the Indian Premier League (IPL 2026) begins next month, the BCCI is considering making it essential across all venues, as dew has played a major role in determining match outcomes.
Meanwhile, Axar Patel is likely to be included in the India XI after missing the last two games, which were played in Ahmedabad. His absence in the Super 8s loss against South Africa was widely discussed.
Given his experience, India believes he can help if the top order falters once more, since he can both calm the ship and launch a counterattack without holding back.
Axar can also be utilized to bowl during the powerplay, as he demonstrated against Pakistan in Colombo. This will undoubtedly be useful against teams with right-handers at the top.
On the other hand, Rinku Singh’s participation in this game is under clouds, as he returned home to Aligarh for a family emergency. He was supposed to rejoin the team in Chennai late on Wednesday evening.