It's been almost five months since Zimbabwe won the hearts of the cricketing world with their progression to the Super Eight of the T20 World Cup, and the good vibes just keep coming. They've only played three fixtures since - a Test and two ODIs - but won them all and their confidence as a group is soaring as they begin preparations for the 2027 ODI World Cup, which they will co-host.
"Our journey really started from the (T20) World Cup and we're carrying on with the momentum. The beauty about this group of boys is the belief now," Sikandar Raza told the post-match broadcast. "A year ago, we may have found ourselves in this position and somehow the game would slip away. But this is what winning does to a team culture. We now believe we can win the game from any position. If you look at today as well, there was a time where you thought the game's drifting away but everybody clawed away and here we are."
Put in to bat in the second ODI against Bangladesh, Zimbabwe were 8 for 2, then 32 for 3 and 66 for 4 before Raza and Ben Curran combined for a 68-run fifth wicket stand. Curran went on to score his second century in the format, off 122 balls and anchored the innings. Then, it was up to Brad Evans to bring the impetus. Batting at No.8, Evans teed off for a 38-ball 58, including three sixes and a four in the final over to push Zimbabwe to a competitive total on a tricky pitch.
It is currently mid-winter in the southern hemisphere which means temperature differentials are greater than at other times of year, and there is often early moisture. Negotiating that was Curran's biggest concern and he set aside strike rate to make sure he batted through the innings. "On a winter's morning, there's a lot more going on with the wickets," Currans said at the press conference later. "With us losing a few early wickets, I had to try and stabilise the innings. The job for me was to try and bat through the 50 overs. Brad had, in my opinion, a match-winning contribution towards the end there. I'll give him a lot of the credit."
Evans was in the 37th over, with Zimbabwe chugging along at a rate of just over four runs to the over. It took him 13 balls before he took the game on when he bent one knee and sent Rishad Hossain over mid-wicket for six. Evans cleared the ropes five more times as the afternoon crowd built. They were in full voice when Curran reached his century, celebrated with a bespoke song and a signature gesture. Curran mimicked a phone call, which is an inside joke with his brothers, Sam, who was playing in a T20I for England on the same day, and Tom. Does it mean call me if you do well? Ben seemed to suggest so. "I haven't got my phone back yet but I'm sure there will be a few messages and calls coming in. We support each other and back each other up so much so look forward to that call."
And then the anticipation began. Earlier this week, Zimbabwe fans watched their team defend 141 so they would have felt 247 was enough. Especially with Bangladesh 38 for 2 in the ninth over but perhaps not so much when they were 169 for 3 in the 37th. Zimbabwe struck back with two wickets in two overs and the match was beautifully poised by the time it entered the final 10 overs. Bangladesh needed 57 runs, with five wickets in hand, twilight had set in and as the floodlights replaced the natural light, the tension grew.
Remember that Zimbabwe have not had day-night cricket until very recently, and the novelty of watching the changing hues remains. "As the lights were coming on I mean the crowd kept cheering us but before the lights came on there was a period when the game was slipping away. Then, we could hear our fans singing in Shona, saying not to give up, something will happen," Raza said. "Wes (Wesley Madhevere) and Clive (Madande) started to laugh and I asked them what's happening and they told me about the song and we all started to laugh. Thank you to the crowd."
Zimbabwe's fans have been their 12th player for a significant period and have lit up games both at home and away. They are the untold story of the way the game has transformed from a minority elite sport into a national one. Curran was fielding on the boundary for most of the Bangladesh innings and felt first-hand the impact the team are having on ordinary people's lives. "I spent a lot of time down in front of the fans so I was taking it all in," he said. "What a pleasure to be playing in front of such a great crowd."
Apart from bringing their home faithful joy, this is a particularly important time for Zimbabwe to be performing well for other reasons. On one hand, there is the ODI World Cup which they need to be ready for but there are also discussions at the ICC's AGM about the composition of the next World Test Championship. Currently, only nine of the 12 Full Members make up the competition, while the other three (Zimbabwe, Ireland and Afghanistan) play Tests without context.
Zimbabwe, the oldest Full Member out of the three stragglers, are desperate for this to change. They place great store in the longest format and see being part of the WTC as a validation of their Full Member status. In 2025, they played 10 Tests including seven at home, as show of their commitment to the longest format. They lost all but two of those matches, which suggests they have plenty of ground to make up to compete with the rest but they have also won back-to-back Tests by an innings. Slowly, they are unearthing some depth with the likes of Curran, Brian Bennett and a four-pronged fast-bowling pack that is the envy of many.
Ngarava, Evans, Blessing Muzarabani and Newman Nyamhuri have headlined their recent wins and underlined the national way. "Zimbabweans, they always find a way to survive," Ngarava said about how the attack stayed in the fight against Bangladesh. He wouldn't even allow himself to get carried away with what they've done in the infancy of his leadership, because he believes there is more to come. "I am going to be happy and celebrate this. But we still have a game in hand and we want to get another W."
Zimbabwe's ODI series against Bangladesh concludes on Saturday before three T20Is next week. They also host India (T20Is) and Australia (three ODIs) this season.