Match report
That’s all from me – thanks for following along as Zimbabwe showed that history does repeat with a stunning T20 World Cup victory over Australia. Here is the full report …
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Sikandar Raza can barely contain his excitement, not that he’s really trying as he rightly talks up Zimbabwe’s all round performance even before looking ahead. But there is still the slight matter of cramps that forced the Zimbabwe captain from the field several times during Australia’s chase.
These are just cramps and I should be fine in the next day or two with a bit of rest.
I’m very happy and very proud. I have the feeling of a brother whose younger brothers have achieved something together. The culture, environment, and unity we’ve created in this team is amazing and to win is unbelievable.
The boys deserve to enjoy the win today. If we stick to the same processes, and take it one game at a time … we are in a great position but it doesn’t mean anything. The next game is now the most important one.
Australia’s stand-in skipper Travis Head won the toss and sent Zimbabwe in. He is reluctant to concede that the decision backfired as focuses on the loss of early wickets.
We thought it was a good wicket. It was a bit sticky at the start and we thought it would be even through the two innings. Even though we only took two wickets, I thought they were a bit under par.
Then we lost early wickets and came under pressure. They played well. I still felt like we could have reached their score and we were happy to chase that. We put ourselves under pressure by losing wickets. There was a partnership in the middle but we left ourselves with too many.
We’ve been here before. We saw it in 2023 with a few defeats and injuries. We have a few guys here who were there in India in 2023. We’ll look to navigate this situation and use that blueprint.
Blessing Muzarabani is player of the match after taking career-best figures of 4 for 17. He speaks while accepting his richly-deserved award.
I was bowling to some of the best players in the world so I am really happy it came off. I saw the boundary was in my favour and I just had to use that and the wicket was also a bit slow.
Brad Evans bowled really well, we missed Richie [Ngarava] but Brad bowled really well and then everyone else also bowled very well. It’s really good to beat Australia, but it would be nice to qualify, so we’re looking forward to the next game.
In a repeat of their triumph over the same opponent at the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007, Zimbabwe have stunned Australia with a 23-run victory.
The Zimbabwe openers set the tone with a blazing 61-run stand, while Brian Bennett remained undefeated on 64 and captain Sikandar Raza brought the fireworks late with 25 not out from 13 balls. Blessing Muzarabani continued his stellar form with the ball with 4 for 17 and was rightly handed the player of the match award as Brad Evans (3 for 23) also picked up crucial wickets to ensure that Australia’s top order crumbled. Matt Renshaw (65 from 44) played a lone hand to show that he belongs at the level as he attempted to guide Australia to their 170-run target. When Glenn Maxwell (31) departed with 64 runs still to get the comeback looked unlikely, and so it proved Muzarabani and Evans returned to bowl at the death and sealed a shock result in Colombo.
Zimbabwe defeat Australia by 23 runs
A top-class performance from Zimbabwe with the ball and in the field has sealed a huge upset over Australia.
WICKET! Zampa b Muzarabani 2 (Australia 141-9)
Adam Zampa can offer little resistance as Muzarabani finishes with 4 for 17.
19th over: Australia 141-9 (Ellis 2, Kuhnemann 0)
WICKET! Renshaw c Burl b Muzarabani 65 (Australia 139-8)
Renshaw goes as he hits a straighter delivery off the toe of the bat and that all but ends Australia’s hopes. It was a top quality knock from the left-hander with 65 from 44 balls with one six and five boundaries, but in the end he ran out of partners and was forced to take all the risks.
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18th over: Australia 136-7 (Renshaw 63, Ellis 1) Munyonga’s screamer helps put Zimbabwe on the brink of victory as they have been excellent in the field all innings. But there is still hope for Australia as Renshaw remains at the crease and the left-hander smokes a boundary straight down the ground.
WICKET! Dwarshuis c Munyonga b Evans 6 (Australia 131-7)
Munyonga pulls in a cracking catch as he runs around the deep midwicket rope and dives to claim the ball just as it looks set to sneak through to the rope. That will be one of the catches of the tournament and goes a long way to sealing a huge upset in Colombo.
17th over: Australia 129-6 (Renshaw 58, Dwarshuis 5) Cremer comes into the attack with his leg-spinners proving difficult to get away. He restricts the Australians to one and twos and only seven runs from the over.
16th over: Australia 122-6 (Renshaw 55, Dwarshuis 1) Matt Renshaw brings up his first T20I fifty as Australia’s hopes are heaped on his shoulders. After Stoinis throws away his wicket, the left-hander keeps the runs flowing with a boundary down the leg side and almost behind the keeper.
WICKET! Stoinis c Musekiwa b Masakadza 6 (Australia 117-6)
Marcus Stoinis looks to go large early but gets too far under the shot and picks out Musekiwa charging in from the rope at deep midwicket. That wasn’t the shot for this stage of the game as Renshaw is now at risk of running out of partners.
15th over: Australia 114-5 (Renshaw 49, Stoinis 5) Zimbabwe can breathe a sigh of relief with Glenn Maxwell back in the pavilion. But Marcus Stoinis shows few signs of the finger injury that ended his bowling spell as he blasts a reverse sweeps his first ball faced to the rope.
WICKET! Maxwell b Burl 31 (Australia 106-5)
Zimbabwe get the huge wicket of the Big Show as Glenn Maxwell chops a wide, unthreatening delivery from Ryan Burl back on to his stumps.
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14th over: Australia 105-4 (Maxwell 31, Renshaw 45) SIX! Renshaw brings up triple figures with a sublime drive straight down the ground and over the fence. He backs it up with a clever sweep past short fine leg as the batter carries his fine BBL form on to a global stage. That’ll be drinks before we turn for home in what already looms as a T20 thriller.
13th over: Australia 93-4 (Maxwell 30, Renshaw 34) There are fewer and fewer signs of Zimbabwe cracking under pressure as Cremer adds to the highlights reel of fielding near the rope. Maxwell slogs to deep midwicket and the ball is travelling over Cremer’s head as all he can do is knock it back into play. Casual running from the Australians means they only pick up a single but this duo suddenly seem intent on addressing the mounting concerns over the required run-rate.
12th over: Australia 83-4 (Maxwell 28, Renshaw 26) DROP! SIX! Myers almost takes a screamer on the rope as Maxwell looks to break the shackles. He had to run a long way around the boundary from long-on to reach the ball, jumped high but was unable to control the catch as he tumbled over the rope. Sub fielder Clive Madande shows him how it’s done when keeping a bouncing ball away from the rope even while leaping over it himself. Two runs saved but that’s a better over for Australia.
11th over: Australia 72-4 (Maxwell 19, Renshaw 24) Cremer carries on bowling and Maxwell goes searching for a boundary with a reverse sweep. The leg-spinner sneaks under the bat and very nearly takes the critical wicket. Five singles off the rest of the over as the pair of heavy-hitters continue to bide their time.
10th over: Australia 67-4 (Maxwell 17, Renshaw 21) Masakadza comes into the attack and keeps the clamps on Australia with only five runs conceded from the over. The required run-rate is out beyond 10 an over as the players take another quick break in the hot conditions.
9th over: Australia 62-4 (Maxwell 14, Renshaw 19) Sikandar Raza is set to continue bowling but as he runs in to send down the first delivery of the over he instead falls to the turf with cramps. After a decent delay the Zimbabwe skipper finally leaves the field with leg-spinner Graeme Cremer taking the ball in his place. Renshaw continues picking up ones and twos before Maxwell eventually adds a much-needed boundary with a reverse sweep to the rope.
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8th over: Australia 51-4 (Maxwell 9, Renshaw 13) Dion Myers joins the attack and Australia smell blood with his mostly unthreatening medium pace. Maxwell takes a sighter for a single to long-on before Renshaw punishes a shorter ball with a slicing cut shot and the first boundary for five overs. There are two more for Renshaw but once on strike Maxwell swings and misses at a pair of deliveries as Zimbabwe perhaps get away with conceding nine from the over.
7th over: Australia 42-4 (Maxwell 8, Renshaw 6) Raza brings himself back into the attack with Australia on the ropes. Maxwell and Renshaw settle for four singles from the over. They will have to be mindful of the required run rate, which is now pushing 10 runs an over.
6th over: Australia 38-4 (Maxwell 6, Renshaw 4) Muzarabani continues with Maxwell and Renshaw looking to survive as much as consolidate the innings. Maxwell picks up two to third man and a quick single to square leg, which could be the order of the next handful of overs. Marcus Stoinis is padded up and ready to bat even after being forced from the field with a finger issue while bowling during Zimbabwe’s innings.
5th over: Australia 34-4 (Maxwell 3, Renshaw 3) Matt Renshaw gets his chance to be a hero with Australia on the ropes and miracle man Maxwell at the other end. The left-hander begins by clipping Evans for two then plays much the same shot for a single.
WICKET! Head b Evans 17 (Australia 29-4)
All signs point to this being “one of those days” for Australia, as Travis Head chops on to his boot and the ball trickles in slow motion into the base of his stumps. There is just enough force to send the bails tumbling, and Zimbabwe have once again made a dream start. They now have eight wickets in their two powerplays bowled at the tournament.
On the other side, this is just the second time Australia have lost four wickets in the powerplay at a T20 World Cup – the first time coming in a brave win over Sri Lanka in 2010.
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4th over: Australia 28-3 (Head 17, Maxwell 1) Wickets keep tumbling around Travis Head and Zimbabwe have their tails up with hopes of causing a second T20 World Cup upset over Australia. It might be time for another Maxwell miracle, though the 37-year-old has been in dire touch with the bat.
WICKET! David c Cremer b Muzarabani 0 (Australia 25-3)
Oh my! Australia’s innings goes from bad to worse as Tim David mistimes a pull shot and picks out Cremer at short fine leg for a second-ball duck.
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WICKET! Green c Marumani b Evans 0 (Australia 24-2)
Brad Evans takes the ball and once again demonstrates that he is a wicket-taker. Green leans back and is caught between driving and cutting as he nicks through to the keeper. Australia have made a shaky start but they do at least have their big-hitting weapons in Head and David at the crease.
3rd over: Australia 24-2 (Head 15, David 0)
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2nd over: Australia 19-1 (Head 10, Green 0) A quality set from Muzarabani has Zimbabwe dreaming. Josh Inglis is back in the pavilion and Marcus Stoinis is yet to be confirmed as a starter for this innings. Travis Head clips a shorter ball off his legs and past Sikandar Raza at midwicket for a nerve-settling boundary.
WICKET! Inglis c Musekiwa b Muzarabani 8 (Australia 13-1)
An early breakthrough for Zimbabwe as Blessing Muzarabani sets up Josh Inglis for a pull shot off his pads. The Australian opener times the stroke sweetly but Musekiwa is waiting at deep backward square to take a comfortable catch.
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1st over: Australia 13-0 (Inglis 8, Head 5) Australia get off to a flyer as Head and Inglis punish the slower pace off Sikandar Raza. Head gets the runs flowing with a boundary through cover, then Inglis sends a fuller ball sailing over the fence for SIX!
Travis Head and Josh Inglis open for Australia just as they did in their T20 World Cup opener against Ireland. Sikandar Raza takes the responsibility to handle the new ball with he crafty seamers and off-cutters not giving Head in particular the pace that he likes. Here we go …
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Australia did well to contain Zimbabwe though they will be sweating on the fitness of Marcus Stoinis after the allrounder copped a heavy blow to the hand – and likely the index finger and thumb – while fielding off his own bowling. There is no suggestion whether he will be able to bat as Australia chase a 170-run target in Colombo.
Zimbabwe set Australia 170-run target
A fine over of varied pace, length and line from Nathan Ellis limits the damage for Australia as Zimbabwe end their innings on 169-2 after Sikandar Raza smacks the first six of the innings off the last delivery. Brian Bennett finishes unbeaten on 64 from 56 balls, while the Zimbabwe skipper would surely have liked more time at the crease as he reached 25 off 13. The pitch did little to help the Australia bowlers which suggests that Zimbabwe have fallen a touch short of setting their heavyweight opponents a truly testing target.
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19th over: Zimbabwe 158-2 (Bennett 61, Raza 17) Raza and Bennett are swinging hard but Zampa knows what’s coming at the death as he takes all the pace off the ball. The Zimbabwe captain skies a slog sweep but the ball drops to the turf at long-off as Australian fielders descend. Raza ends the over with two through midwicket.
18th over: Zimbabwe 150-2 (Bennett 59, Raza 11) DROP! The Zimbabwe pair open the shoulders with only three overs remaining in the innings and eight wickets still in hand. Captain Raza gets them going with a boundary to the leg side, then adds another with a cracking drive through covers. Bennett is fortunate to survive as Kuhnemann takes time to pick up the flight of a heave to deep midwicket as his dive forward falls short and the ball crashes to the turf. Bennett piles more misery on Dwarshuis as he ends the over with a flat-bat strike back past the bowler.
17th over: Zimbabwe 135-2 (Bennett 53, Raza 2) Nathan Ellis back into the attack with Zimbabwe needing to take advantage of having as many as eight wickets still in hand with Sikandar Raza now at the crease. The Australian sends down a tight over with only four singles conceded.
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WICKET! Burl c Bartlett (sub) b Green 35 (Zimbabwe 131-2)
Chaos in Colombo as Burl smacks a low full toss straight back at Marcus Stoinis and the bowler quickly gets a hand to the ball. The allrounder saves four runs but flicks his hand in pain and is soon forced from the field with a finger injury. Cameron Green takes over to bowl out the over and Burl can’t resist a shorter ball. A a top edge takes it to the sub fielder in the deep.
16th over: Zimbabwe 131-2 (Bennett 51, Raza 0)
15th over: Zimbabwe 125-1 (Bennett 50, Burl 30) Zimbabwe continue on their merry way after drinks and Bennett brings up a T20 World Cup half-century against Australia at the age of 22. He brings up the milestone from 43 balls with six boundaries.
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14th over: Zimbabwe 118-1 (Bennett 45, Burl 28) Ben Dwarshuis returns for the first time since the opening overs as spin is failing to put the clamps on the Zimbabwe batters. Bennett steps forward and hammers an over-pitched delivery over a gap wide of mid-off and to the rope. A slower ball has Burl in all sorts and sails over his head for a wide much to the frustration of the bowler. Australia are out to limit the damage more than threatening to take wickets at the moment.
13th over: Zimbabwe 106-1 (Bennett 36, Burl 26) Zimbabwe bring up triple figures as Burl flicks through midwicket then casually flips his legs around and swipes a reverse hoick through point to the rope. The veteran is in sublime touch and his side can start dreaming of setting Australia a more-than-challenging chase.
12th over: Zimbabwe 99-1 (Bennett 35, Burl 20) Nathan Ellis returns and digs in a shorter ball but Burl picks it early and pulls it away for four through square leg. The left-hander barely moves his feet as he smacks a slower ball pitched wide outside off-stump back past Ellis and to the rope. Ellis fires up over a wide call that replays show was spot on then comes charging in around the wicket without finding a way to trouble Burt. It can’t be long until Zimbabwe start to take a few risks with plenty of wickets in hand and the pitch giving the bowlers little assistance.
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11th over: Zimbabwe 87-1 (Bennett 35, Burl 9) Kuhnemann is back into the attack but can’t stop the flow of ones and twos as Zimbabwe take eight from the over. Burl gets down on one knee and has to reach far outside his off-stump to tennis bat a shot back over the head and into a gap.
10th over: Zimbabwe 79-1 (Bennett 33, Burl 3) Cameron Green takes the ball for the first time as Australia show their full complement of allrounders and a seventh bowler in the innings. Bennett and Burl both handle the towering Green with ease until the latter swipes at a ball travelling at hip height down leg. Green appeals immediately but Inglis takes a moment to join in the excitement. The keeper might have been better keeping his powder dry as Australia waste a second review.
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9th over: Zimbabwe 72-1 (Bennett 31, Burl 2) Adam Zampa continues as Australia look to turn the screw after their first dismissal. The Zimbabwe pair seem to be content with consolidating the innings for a period after the loss of Marumani as they settle for risk-free twos to mid-on and through point, and a couple of singles.
8th over: Zimbabwe 66-1 (Bennett 26, Burl 1) Marcus Stoinis gets the breakthrough with some clever bowling, first getting Marumani to cut away from his body then cramping up the opener with one that stayed a touch straighter. That is Zimbabwe’s second 50-run opening partnership in T20 World Cups though batting is starting to look trickier.
WICKET! Marumani c Inglis b Stoinis 35 (Zimbabwe 61-1)
The Zimbabwe opener’s entertaining knock ends with a thick edge off a ball that is moving away but still stays a touch too close to his body. Marumani’s 35 came from 21 balls with seven boundaries to put his side in a strong position.
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7th over: Zimbabwe 57-0 (Bennett 24, Marumani 31) Australia call on their spinning trump card in Adam Zampa but Bennett has no time for World Cup reputations as he brings up the 50-run partnership as he leans into a drive through the covers. Zampa troubles Marumani with a quicker ball but the left-hander finds the boundary again - his sixth of the innings - with a pull through square leg.
6th over: Zimbabwe 47-0 (Bennett 19, Marumani 26) Nathan Ellis is just the bowler for the occasion with the wicket giving the Australians little assistance and the Zimbabwe openers off to a flyer. But Bennett is and up running now as the young right-hander hammers Ellis for four through cover. Marumani only just picks up Ellis’s trademark slower ball to block it out of the danger zone, then scoops a fuller ball skyward and barely wide of Matt Renshaw on the rope at deep fine leg.
5th over: Zimbabwe 40-0 (Bennett 14, Marumani 24) Travis Head keeps swinging the changes with the ball as Matt Kuhnemann makes it four bowlers in five overs. The left-arm spinner gives his first ball plenty of flight but Bennett picks it early and sends it back over Kuhnemann’s head for four. The Australian bounces back with three dot balls until Bennett targets midwicket for another boundary. The Zimbabwe openers have set a strong platform with both batters looking comfortable.
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4th over: Zimbabwe 31-0 (Bennett 5, Marumani 24) Glenn Maxwell comes into the attack and Marumani is intent on blasting him back out. A reverse sweep off the opening delivery races away behind point and to the rope, and Marumani pulls out much the same shot for another boundary later in the over. A traditional sweep ends with the same result as Zimbabwe take 14 runs from the over without taking too many risks.
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3rd over: Zimbabwe 17-0 (Bennett 4, Marumani 11) Tadiwanashe Marumani smacks the first boundary of the innings through the covers then follows up with a wild swipe across the line. He continues living dangerously as a thick inside edge is enough to get the ball away through square leg and to the rope. Bennett finishes the over attempting and missing a ramp but the Zimbabwean intent is becoming clearer.
2nd over: Zimbabwe 8-0 (Bennett 4, Marumani 2) Marcus Stoinis takes the new ball and begins with a loosener for a wide. The allrounder quickly finds his line and gets the ball angling across Marumani. The Zimbabwe opener looks untroubled until swinging hard at a shorter ball and failing to get over the top of his shot. He is fortunate to see it drop a few metres wide of the fielder at backward square.
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1st over: Zimbabwe 4-0 (Bennett 4, Marumani 0) Ben Dwarshuis makes a fine start on his return to the XI as he has the ball moving off the deck and he carves through Brian Bennett several times. Australia are excited by a noise after a delivery that jags off the seam and send a review upstairs. That is quickly declined and Bennett responds with two runs through point.
Zimbabwe openers Brian Bennett and Tadiwanashe Marumani are on their way out to the middle and hoping to set the tone for the underdogs who are facing their own injury concerns. Ben Dwarshuis is back in the XI and has the white ball in hand as we’re about to get under way in Colombo …
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Zimbabwe have also made a fast start to their T20 World Cup campaign as Blessing Muzarabani (3 for 16), Richard Ngarava (3 for 17) and Brad Evans (3 for 18) ripped through Oman.
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Steve Smith was widely considered unlucky – at least by me – to miss out on being part of Australia’s squad for this T20 World Cup. But he is set to join up with the squad this evening, according to stand-in skipper Travis Head, after Mitch Marsh suffered the most unfortunate of injuries.
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Australia are one from one in the tournament so far after Nathan Ellis and Adam Zampa sealed the win over Ireland. Read all about it or watch the highlights below.
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Zimbabwe XI
Zimbabwe: Brian Bennett, Tadiwanashe Marumani (wk), Dion Myers, Sikandar Raza (capt), Ryan Burl, Tony Munyonga, Tashinga Musekiwa, Brad Evans, Wellington Masakadza, Graeme Cremer, Blessing Muzarabani.
Sikandar Raza is happy to bat first on what he expects to be a consistent surface that might slow up as the sun comes out and the game drags on. Zimbabwe have brought in an extra spinner but Brendon Taylor, who hit the winning runs in the famous victory over Australia back in 2007, has been ruled out of the tournament.
Our Playing XI vs Australia ✍️#T20WorldCup #ZIMvAUS pic.twitter.com/op2BhmYBv2
— Zimbabwe Cricket (@ZimCricketv) February 13, 2026
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Australia XI
Australia: Travis Head (capt), Josh Inglis (wk), Cameron Green, Tim David, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Matt Renshaw, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa, Matt Kuhnemann.
Cooper Connolly and Xavier Bartlett drop out of the XI with Tim David and Ben Dwarshuis coming in. Steve Smith is yet to join up with the group after all, but Head says – with a hint of uncertainty and a laugh – that he will arrive tonight. The Australia stand-in skipper seems typically relaxed.
We’re used to a bit of chaos early in a tournament. We just have to put another good performance in. I think given the conditions we did really well [against Ireland]. We did it in a different way to what we normally do but today is a different pitch and we’ll have to adapt again.
Australia win the toss and elect to bowl
Sikandar Raza calls tails but the coin drops on heads and Travis Head takes no time to send Zimbabwe in to bat first. Changes coming for both sides.
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Australia and Zimbabwe have minimal history of meeting in T20Is with only two clashes since Prosper Utseya’s side pulled off the shock of the 2007 T20 World Cup. Normal service was resumed when Australia beat Zimbabwe convincingly in a pair of matches in Harare in 2018, with the first win set up by Aaron Finch’s fireworks. The Australia captain hammered 172 from 76 balls in a devastating knock that still stands as the second highest by a men’s batter in the international format.
Preamble
Hello and welcome to live coverage of the T20 World Cup group B match between Australia and Zimbabwe in Colombo. Both sides made winning starts to their campaign with the undermanned Australia brushing aside Ireland by 67 runs, and Zimbabwe making even lighter work of Oman in an eight-wicket victory. But there is little margin for error from here with only the top two in each five-team group to progress to the Super Eight stage, and co-host Sri Lanka also likely to challenge for those pivotal places.
Australia captain Mitch Marsh is unlikely to be fit to face Zimbabwe after copping a painful blow to the, ahem, midriff in training ahead of the team’s T20 World Cup opener. Tim David is also expected to miss today’s game at R. Premadasa Cricket Stadium as a thin squad continues to teeter on the brink of an injury crisis. The absence of the heavy-hitting duo might help open the door for Zimbabwe to pull off what would be a huge upset though it remains to be seen whether Steve Smith is parachuted into the Australia XI after getting a late call-up to join the squad.
The two sides are at least somewhat unfamiliar to each other after not crossing paths in a global tournament or bilateral series since playing three ODIs in north Queensland in 2022. But Zimbabwe will be happy to look back further to the time when they stunned Australia at the first T20 World Cup way back in 2007.
Toss and confirmed teams will be coming up shortly – with first ball to be bowled at 4.30pm AEDT / 11am local in Colombo / 5.30am GMT – so please take the time to get in touch with your thoughts and predictions. Drop me an email or find me @martinpegan on Bluesky or X.
