Zimbabwe stuns Australia, repeats 2007 magic with 23-run win at T20 World Cup 2026

Colombo (The Uttam Hindu): The cricket world suffered a major setback in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 when Zimbabwe defeated former champions Australia by 23 runs in the 19th match of Group B played at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. This is the second consecutive time in the history of this tournament that Zimbabwe has defeated a strong team like Australia. Earlier, in the 2007 T20 World Cup, Zimbabwe had surprised everyone by defeating Australia. Now, repeating history after 19 years, Zimbabwe has proved that no team can be underestimated in the T20 format.

The Kangaroos had a poor start, losing 4 wickets for 29 runs

Australia had a disappointing start in their chase of 170 runs set by Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe's bowlers kept the pressure on the Australian batsmen from the outset. The situation was such that star batsmen like Josh Inglis, Cameron Green, Tim David, and Travis Head couldn't stay at the crease, and Australia lost four crucial wickets for just 29 runs.

Glenn Maxwell and Matt Renshaw then attempted to stabilize the innings. They shared a crucial 77-run partnership from 59 balls, keeping Australia's hopes alive. It seemed the pair would take the match away from Zimbabwe, but Ryan Burl broke the dangerous partnership by dismissing Maxwell for 31. With Maxwell's dismissal, Australia's innings collapsed like a pack of cards. Marcus Stoinis and Ben Dwarshuis also failed to make much of a mark, returning to the pavilion after scoring 6 runs each. In the end, Matt Renshaw played a fighting innings of 65 runs from 44 balls, but his dismissal at 139 sealed Australia's defeat. Adam Zampa was also bowled for just two runs.

Bennett and Raza take Zimbabwe to a strong total

Earlier, Australia won the toss and decided to bowl first, which proved to be a loss for them. Batting first, Zimbabwe posted a challenging total of 169 runs in the allotted 20 overs, losing only 2 wickets. Brian Bennett batted brilliantly for Zimbabwe, playing a composed innings of 64 not out off 56 balls and holding one end up. He was supported by wicketkeeper Tadiwanashe Marumani and Ryan Burl, who made useful contributions of 35 runs each. In the end, captain Sikandar Raza batted aggressively and put the team in a strong position by scoring 25 not out off just 13 balls.

The Australian bowling attack clearly missed experienced players like Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood in this match. Their absence lacked the sharpness the bowling displayed, which the Zimbabwean batsmen capitalized on. Even the spin wizard Adam Zampa couldn't trouble the Zimbabwean batsmen. He conceded 31 runs in his four overs and went wicketless. Only Marcus Stoinis and Cameron Green managed a wicket each for Australia.