Zimbabwe stun Australia by 23 runs, pull off first major upset of 2026 T20 World Cup

Zimbabwe on Friday stunned former champions Australia by 23 runs in the 2026 T20 World Cup Group B match between the two sides at the R Premadasa Stadium. Chasing a target of 170, Australia were sent packing for a score of 146. Fast bowler Blessing Muzarabani led the way with figures of 4/17. Zimbabwe have gone up to second on the Group B table with the win, level on points with top-placed Sri Lanka. Australia, on the other hand, remain third with two points in two matches. Only the top two from each group will go through to the Super Eights. Zimbabwe picked as many as four wickets in the powerplay, leaving Australia tottering at 29/4 at one point. Muzarabani and Brad Evans removed Australia’s Josh Inglis, Cam Green, Tim David and Travis Head within the first four overs.  Glenn Maxwell and Matt Renshaw then held up the Australian hopes for a while but they could never quite get going at a decent run rate. Maxwell eventually fell after an uncharacteristically sluggish innings, putting together just 31 runs in 32 balls. Asked to bat first, Zimbabwe made 169/2, riding on a half century by opener Brian Bennett and useful contribution lower down from captain Sikandar Raza. Zimbabwe earlier started with a 61-run opening stand between Brian Bennett and Tadiwanashe Marumani. Australia, who are reeling from injuries to a number of key players, seemed to have got their noses in front briefly after the powerplay, after they dismissed Marumani on 35 off 21 balls. Australia’s stand-in skipper Travis Head brought Adam Zampa, Matthew Kuhnemann and Maxwell into the ⁠attack but his ⁠side failed to arrest the flow of runs, even after Marcus Stoinis had Tadiwanashe Marumani ⁠caught behind ‌for 35. That setback barely mattered for Zimbabwe as ​Bennett helped guide them past the 100-run ‌mark in the 13th over and brought up his half-century while stitching together a 70-run partnership with ‌Ryan Burl. Australia were ​left ​sweating when ​Stoinis walked off after being hit on his hand while attempting to stop a ferocious shot ​by Burl, who perished for 35 on ⁠the next ball bowled by Cameron Green to complete the 16th over. Australia composed themselves and tightened things up through Zampa ‌and Nathan ⁠Ellis. However, captain Raza then came and shifted gears to give Zimbabwe the late burst they were looking for, Raza finished unbeaten on 25 off 13 balls, hitting the only six of the Zimbabwe innings off the last ball of the last over.

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