Zimbabwe produced one of the biggest surprises of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, beating Australia by 23 runs in Colombo.
Batting first, Zimbabwe posted 169 for 2 in 20 overs. Brian Bennett held the innings together with an unbeaten 64 off 56 balls. He paced his knock smartly on a slow surface, while Sikandar Raza and others chipped in to push the total to a competitive score.
Australia’s chase of 170 never settled. They were reduced to 29 for 4 inside 4.3 overs, putting them under early pressure. That damage was done by Blessing Muzarabani, who delivered a superb spell of 4 for 17 in four overs. His pace and bounce troubled the top order, including key early wickets in the powerplay.
Brad Evans backed him up with 3 for 23, ensuring Australia could not build a steady partnership. Matt Renshaw fought hard with 65 off 44 balls, but regular wickets and tight overs meant the required rate kept climbing.
Australia was eventually bowled out for 146 in 19.3 overs. The result keeps Zimbabwe unbeaten against Australia in T20 World Cups and throws Group B wide open as the tournament heads into a crucial phase.
