COLOMBO: Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza praised his players following a commanding 20 run victory over Australia in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 a result that stands among the tournament’s biggest upsets so far.

Zimbabwe delivered a complete performance, outclassing the former champions with both bat and ball to extend their impressive campaign momentum.

After choosing to bat first, Zimbabwe built a strong platform and posted a competitive 169-2. Opener Brian Bennett anchored the innings with a composed 64 off 56 balls, striking seven boundaries to steady the scoring. Raza then provided a late surge, finishing unbeaten on 25 from just 13 deliveries to lift the total.

Australia’s bowlers struggled to contain the flow of runs, with only Cameron Green and Marcus Stoinis managing breakthroughs as Zimbabwe maintained control throughout the innings.

Zimbabwe carried that dominance into the field, rattling Australia early and reducing them to 29-4 inside the powerplay. A spirited 77 run partnership between Glenn Maxwell and Matt Renshaw briefly reignited the chase, but the rising run rate continued to apply pressure. Australia were eventually bowled out for 146, sealing a memorable Zimbabwe victory.

Following the win, Raza shared his pride on social media, praising the team’s collective effort while urging continued focus for the challenges ahead. He highlighted the group’s unity and determination as key drivers behind the performance.

Notably, this marked only the second T20 World Cup meeting between the two sides and Zimbabwe now hold a perfect 2-0 record after also defeating Australia in the inaugural 2007 edition.

Back to back victories, including an earlier win over Oman, have significantly boosted Zimbabwe’s qualification hopes. They now prepare for crucial remaining group fixtures against Ireland and Sri Lanka.

Australia, meanwhile, face a must-win scenario in their final matches against Sri Lanka and Oman to keep their Super Eight ambitions alive.