Score: Zimbabwe (182/4 in 19.3 overs) beat Sri Lanka (178/7 in 20 overs) by six wickets in Colombo. (Brian Bennett 63*, Sikandar Raza 45; Dusan Hemantha 2/36).
Brian Bennett’s composure and Sikandar Raza’s explosive strokeplay led Zimbabwe to an emphatic six-wicket victory over Sri Lanka to book their place in the Super Eights of the T20 World Cup as Group B winners on Thursday.
Sri Lanka vs Zimbabwe: MAIN | SCORECARD
Chasing 179 in their last league encounter, Zimbabwe overhauled the target in 19.3 overs to stun the hosts and complete an unbeaten campaign in the group stage. Finishing above Sri Lanka, Australia and Ireland, the African side marked a major milestone in their continued resurgence. It was also their second most successful run chase in T20 Internationals.
On a slow surface that required balance, Zimbabwe combined restraint with calculated aggression. Bennett anchored the innings with 63 not out off 48 balls, while Raza’s 45 off 26 deliveries provided the impetus at crucial moments.
Zimbabwe started confidently and scored 55 for no loss in the Powerplay through Bennett and Tadiwanashe Marumani (34 for 26). The opening pair put on 69 in 8.3 overs before Marumani fell to Dunith Wellalage to offer the spinner a comeback.
Ryan Burl made sure there was no loss of momentum as he hit a brisk 23 off 12 balls. His 103m six off Wellalage over long-on stood out, though he later fell to the slower bouncer Dasun Shanaka.
With Bennett firmly holding one end, the contest was decidedly tilted when Raza entered it. The Zimbabwe skipper added urgency and with two consecutive sixes and a boundary in the 15th over, he went to Dilshan Madushanka to take control of the chase. Battling cramp at the end of his innings, Raza continued to attack as he hit a six and a four in the 16th over off Maheesh Theekshan to bring the required rate down to a manageable level.
Raza was dismissed by Dushan Hemantha in the 19th over and Tashinga Musekiwa departed two balls later, eight needed for the final over. Any anxiety was short-lived as Tony Munyonga pulled Theekshana for a towering six to seal the result.
At the halfway point, Sri Lanka looked set to post a competitive total. Their bowlers reinforced that impression at the start of the chase with disciplined lines and tight fields that briefly slowed Zimbabwe’s progress. For a time, the game was even.
The shift came when Marumani struck after a quiet phase and forced Sri Lanka to change their length. This intention allowed Bennett to settle into his anchoring role, while Burl’s cameos kept the asking rate from rising. Raza then delivered the defining hit, combining power with awareness to keep the equation in check.
Earlier, Sri Lanka’s batsmen struggled against Zimbabwe’s spinners in the middle overs on a slow pitch but still managed a competitive 178 for seven in Thursday’s Group B encounter.
Opting to bat first, Sri Lanka got off to a steady start as openers Kusal Perera (22) and Pathum Nissanka (62) added 54 runs in just 4.5 overs.
Perera didn’t look entirely comfortable but managed a couple of boundaries off pacer Blessing Muzarabani. However, the towering speedster had the last word. Perera misfired off bouncer Muzarabani and was caught at short leg by Graeme Cremer.
Muzarabani impressed during his spell, smartly digging the ball into the surface to ease the pace and force the batsmen to generate their own power.
Sri Lanka ended the PowerPlay on a healthy 61 for 1, but scoring became increasingly difficult after that.
Zimbabwe’s quartet of Sikandar Raza, Graeme Cremer, Ryan Burl and Wellington Masakadza tightened the screws in the middle overs, conceding just 21 runs in the next four overs and giving the hosts little room to break free.
During this phase, Sri Lanka also lost the slow-moving Kusal Mendis, who made 14 off 20 balls.
Amid the slowdown, Nissanka, fresh from his century against Australia in the previous match, brought up his half-century in 34 balls. The right-hander read the pace of the court well, relying on quick singles and doubles before choosing the right moments to attack.
However, he too fell to the slow surface and his reverse movement from Cremer landed in the hands of Tony Munyonga.
Pavan Rathnayake then provided the late impetus with a blistering 44 off 25 balls. He hit Brad Evans for 4, 6 and 4 in the 19th over to take Sri Lanka past the 150-run mark before falling in the same over. The last two overs yielded 30 runs, a feat that added valuable momentum to the total.
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Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
February 19, 2026