Player of the Match
Player of the Match
60dSidharth Monga

Zimbabwe stun Sri Lanka to enter Super Eight unbeaten

The Zimbabwe bowlers kept Sri Lanka to 178 on a sluggish track before the batters combined to seal their second-highest successful T20I chase

Match Centre

Statistics

Best performances - Batsmen

BJ Bennett
BJ Bennett
63(48) 8x4 - 0x6
Control %86%
  • Productive Shot
  • cover drive
  • 13 runs
  • 2x4 - 0x6
5 8 7 12 10 15 2 4
P Nissanka
62(41) 8x4 - 0x6
Control %83%
  • Productive Shot
  • pull
  • 18 runs
  • 3x4 - 0x6
5 8 16 9 5 3 5 11

Best performances - Bowlers

AG Cremer
AG Cremer
O4
M0
R27
W2
Eco6.75
RHB
OFFLEG
1W
  • FTFULL TOSS
  • YYORKER
  • FFULL LENGTH
  • GGOOD LENGTH
  • SGSHORT OF GOOD LENGTH
  • SSHORT LENGTH
LHB
LEGOFF
1W
B Evans
B Evans
O3
M0
R35
W2
Eco11.66
RHB
OFFLEG
1W
1W
  • FTFULL TOSS
  • YYORKER
  • FFULL LENGTH
  • GGOOD LENGTH
  • SGSHORT OF GOOD LENGTH
  • SSHORT LENGTH
LHB
LEGOFF

Match Details

Toss

Sri Lanka , elected to bat first

Player Of The Match

Match number

Season

Hours of play (local time)

15.00 start, First Session 15.00-16.30, Interval 16.30-16.50, Second Session 16.50-18.20

Match days

19 February 2026 - day/night match (20-over match)

TV Umpires

Reserve Umpire

Match Referee

Points

Zimbabwe 2, Sri Lanka 0

Scorer: Thilak Ram | Commentator: Shashwat Kumar

6:50pm That will be all from us for this game. One more match to tuck into tonight, and Alan Gardner is at the wheel currently as Canada prepare to take on Afghanistan. Until next time, from all of us here, it is goodbye!

Sikandar Raza, now speaking as Zimbabwe captain: We keep our sights forward. If I keep our eyes on the present, I don't think anyone gave us a chance. To win everyone's hearts and respect, it is a good position to be in. When we lost the toss, all I said to the boys was if we are truly playing good cricket, why does the toss matter. I bowled, and said finger-spinners are not finding a lot of turn, so we can put them under pressure. I came into the changing room and said they were 10 runs short (at the break). We have trained for every situation. Then we have the right personnel to send in at the right time. We have got all those roles clear and that is why you see the confidence in the changing room. We take one game at a time. We arrive on 21st, and then train on 22nd, and then it is show-time. Whatever happens, happens. If we can win two out of three games, who knows what can happen. Everyone loves an underdog story.

Dasun Shanaka, Sri Lanka captain: (On the batting) We had a very good start. The score we put on is good enough to defend. Some patches where we could have done better but we take the score. It was a good score on this pitch. (On the bowling plans) Plan was always simple. To take wickets (up front) but we could not get that start. It is tough with the newcomers coming in, but no excuse. We could have done slightly better. Every game, we need to do well for the country. We rested Chameera as well. But we need to do better. We need to be more confident in the field, felt that is what we lacked today. Hopefully we come with a better attitude the next time.

Sikandar Raza, Player of the Match: After the first eight balls, I only had 4-5 runs but I was seeing the ball well, and if I time it well, it can go the distance. Was trying to calculate. Needed a 20-run over. Ideally wanted to finish the game but we take it. Kept on saying to Bennett that he batted through. I told him I had let him down (with my slow start) and to just hang in (because I was starting to time it well). Credit to him - he keeps doing that every game and cannot wait to see him get better. I am pretty excited with how we have gone about our business. We are unbeaten so far, but it is only the next game that comes into my head. Nice position to be in as a captain but I will try and enjoy at least tonight.

6:30pm Not bad for a dead rubber, eh? At the half-way stage, it felt SL may just have enough on the board. And they seemed to believe that in the opening overs of the powerplay too, tying the Zimbabwean batters down. But then, Marumani teed off, with Bennett following suit soon after. Burl played his part too, with Raza arguably playing the decisive knock. He could not stay alongside Bennett at the end, but his innings ensured that Zimbabwe, despite a wobble, had enough of a cushion to bounce back.

SL will be disappointed. Shanaka and Wellalage tried their best, but the rest were not quite up to scratch. Theekshana, on a slow track, was too expensive, with none of the seamers gaining any foothold either. The result, in terms of qualification, may not have mattered, but SL will still feel they should have won this game.

19.3
4
Theekshana to Bennett, FOUR, Bennett caresses it through the off-side ring, and Zimbabwe get past the finish line! Unbeaten in the group stage, and now, table-toppers of a group that also comprised of Australia and Sri Lanka! Fitting that the final blow is landed by Bennett. He gets forward to this length ball outside off. Leans into the drive and splits extra cover and mid off. Top knock under pressure. Top chase against a partisan crowd, and Zimbabwe enter the Super Eight with an unblemished record!
19.2
1
Theekshana to Munyonga, 1 run, scores are level! Back of a length delivery hung up wide outside off. Munyonga throws his hands at it and carves it towards deep point
19.1
6
Theekshana to Munyonga, SIX, dragged down, and Munyonga produces the big hit under pressure Zimbabwe were craving for! Sits up outside off and Munyonga has all the time in the world to wallop this over cow corner. What drama!

8 off 6. Zimbabwe surely should have gotten it done before getting to this stage. But here we are. Super Over anyone? Theekshana to bowl

END OF OVER:
19 | 5 Runs 2 Wkts | ZIM: 171/4 (8 runs required from 6 balls, RR: 9.00, RRR: 8.00)

  • Tony Munyonga1 (1b)
  • Brian Bennett59 (47b)
  • Dushan Hemantha4-0-36-2
  • Dunith Wellalage4-0-27-1
18.6
1
Hemantha to Munyonga, 1 run, lobbed up full on middle and leg. Munyonga dances down the track and drills it straight to extra cover. Gets a single and keeps strike
18.6
1w
Hemantha to Munyonga, 1 wide, zipped in on a length down leg. Munyonga mows at it and misses, and gets the wide call. Hemantha will be livid with that!

Munyonga on strike now. 10 off 7

18.5
W
Hemantha to Musekiwa, OUT, oh goodness me - how has Shanaka pulled that off?! This is madness. Absolute madness, and the crowd suddenly believes! On a length outside off. Stops in the surface and Musekiwa miscues his lofted shot. The ball hangs in the long off region. Shanaka comes out of nowhere, perhaps running in from straight mid on and then he flies like a superhero to take it, with long off mere centimeters away from him. Could have been a sickening collision, but ends up being a magnificent catch, and this game is back in the balance!

T Musekiwa c Shanaka b Hemantha 1 (2m 2b 0x4 0x6) SR: 50

Zimbabwe 2nd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st69T MarumaniBJ Bennett
2nd29RP BurlBJ Bennett
3rd69Sikandar RazaBJ Bennett
4th2BJ BennettT Musekiwa
5th13BJ BennettT Munyonga

ICC Men's T20 World Cup

Super Eights, Group 1
TeamMWLPTNRR
SA33062.259
IND32140.106
WI31220.993
ZIM3030-3.415
Super Eights, Group 2
TeamMWLPTNRR
ENG33061.096
NZ31131.39
PAK3113-0.123
SL3030-1.95
Group A
TeamMWLPTNRR
IND44082.5
PAK43160.976
USA42240.788
NED4132-1.217
NAM4040-3.108
Group B
TeamMWLPTNRR
ZIM43071.506
SL43161.741
AUS42241.523
IRE41230.15
OMA4040-4.845
Group C
TeamMWLPTNRR
WI44081.874
ENG43160.201
SCOT41320.184
ITA4132-1.02
NEP4132-1.349
Group D
TeamMWLPTNRR
SA44081.943
NZ43161.227
AFG42240.889
UAE4132-1.364
CAN4040-2.426