Colombo – Web Desk: In a major upset at the T20 World Cup 2026, Zimbabwe defeated Australia by 23 runs in the 19th match of the tournament, leaving fans stunned.
At the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, Zimbabwe’s pace bowlers restricted Australia to 146 runs in 19.3 overs while chasing a target of 170. Matthew Renshaw top-scored with 65, followed by Glenn Maxwell (31) and captain Travis Head (17), but none of the other Australian batsmen managed to make a significant impact.
Zimbabwe’s Blessing Muzarabani was the star with figures of 4 wickets for just 17 runs, marking not only his best performance in T20 World Cup history but also the best bowling figures by a Zimbabwean against any full-member team in T20 Internationals. Muzarabani also celebrated his 100th T20I wicket in this match. Brad Evans contributed with 3 wickets for 23 runs, complementing the attack.
Earlier, Australia captain Travis Head won the toss and elected to bowl first, inviting Zimbabwe to bat. The Zimbabwean openers gave a strong start, putting on 61 runs. Marumani made 35 before being dismissed, followed by a 70-run partnership between Brian Bennett (64*) and Ryan Burl (35), stabilizing the innings. Zimbabwe finished with 169 runs for the loss of 2 wickets in 20 overs, with Bennett and captain ** Sikandar Raza** (25*) remaining unbeaten.
Australia’s bowling attack managed only two wickets, taken by Mark Steyns and Cameron Green.
This is the second time in T20 World Cup history that Zimbabwe has defeated Australia. The first came in the inaugural 2007 edition, making this a remarkable repeat upset nearly two decades later.
The result has sent shockwaves through the tournament, with Zimbabwe now emerging as one of the dark horses, while Australia will need to regroup quickly to stay in contention.
