T20 World Cup 2026: Zimbabwe defeated Australia by 23 runs
T20 World Cup 2026: In a stunning turn of events that has sent shockwaves through the cricketing world, Zimbabwe defeated Australia by 23 runs in Match 19 of the 2026 T20 World Cup at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Friday, February 13, 2026.
This victory marks a historic moment for Zimbabwe, repeating their famous upset against the Aussies from the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007. After winning the toss and opting to bat, Zimbabwe built a clinical innings.
Brian Bennett played a masterful, unbeaten knock of 64 runs off 56 balls. He was supported by aggressive cameos from Tadiwanashe Marumani (35) and Ryan Burl (35).
Skipper Sikandar Raza provided the late fireworks, smashing 25 runs off just 13 balls, including a massive six off the final ball to set a target of 170.
Australia’s chase was derailed early by a fierce spell from Blessing Muzarabani, who removed Josh Inglis, Cameron Green, and Tim David in quick succession. Australia was reeling at 29/4 within the Powerplay.
Matt Renshaw was the only standout for the Kangaroos, scoring a valiant 65 runs off 44 balls, while Glenn Maxwell contributed 31. However, once their partnership was broken, the lower order crumbled under the pressure of Zimbabwe’s planned attack.
Zimbabwe has climbed to the second spot with 4 points, significantly boosting their hopes for a Super 8 qualification. Australia has slipped to third place, putting them in a “must-win” situation for their upcoming high-stakes clash against co-hosts Sri Lanka.
This is the first time in 19 years that Zimbabwe has defeated Australia in a major ICC T20 global tournament.
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