Zimbabwe produced one of the biggest upsets of the tournament, defeating Sri Lanka by six wickets in a high-pressure Group B clash of the T20 World Cup at R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on 19 February.
The victory not only stunned the home crowd but also ensured Zimbabwe finished the group stage unbeaten and advanced to the Super 8 with strong momentum.
Chasing a competitive target of 179, Zimbabwe showed remarkable composure and confidence. Opener Brian Bennett played a match-winning knock of 63 not out, guiding his side to 182/4 in 19.3 overs with three balls remaining.
His calm approach under pressure highlighted Zimbabwe’s growing maturity on the global stage.
Earlier, Sri Lanka elected to bat first and posted 178/7 in their 20 overs. Pathum Nissanka led the scoring with a fluent 62 at the top of the order. However, Zimbabwe’s bowlers maintained discipline throughout the innings.
Blessing Muzarabani, Brad Evans, and Graeme Cremer each picked up two wickets, preventing Sri Lanka from accelerating in the death overs.
Zimbabwe’s chase began with a solid 69-run opening partnership between Bennett and Tadiwanashe Marumani, who contributed 34 runs. Captain Sikandar Raza then shifted the momentum decisively, smashing 45 off just 26 balls, including four sixes.
His aggressive innings reduced the pressure and left Bennett to complete the chase in style with a confident drive towards mid-off.
This result marked Sri Lanka’s first defeat of the tournament and served as another reminder of Zimbabwe’s ability to challenge major cricketing nations.
Having already stunned Australia earlier in the competition, Zimbabwe claims victory once again to establish itself as one of the most dangerous sides in this year’s T20 World Cup.
Zimbabwe won three of their four group matches, while one game was washed out, demonstrating consistency across different conditions. Their qualification through the continental pathway adds further significance to their unbeaten run.
With confidence high and momentum on their side, Zimbabwe now enters the Super 8 not as underdogs but as serious contenders capable of troubling the tournament heavyweights.
