T20 World Cup | Zimbabwe assistant coach Dion Ebrahim on underdogs and shock wins
Zimbabwean goalkeeper Tadiwanashe Marumani, 24, says he has never played in front of such a large crowd. “It was really loud and it was actually my first experience. It was really exciting and a bit nerve-racking,” he told reporters at the ICC’s mixed zone after his team’s six-wicket win over Sri Lanka.The atmosphere must have been terrifying for the Zimbabwean cricketers, but they crossed the finish line. There was hardly any celebrating after Brian Bennett scored the winning runs.“I don’t think anyone gave us a chance to be where we are. To win people’s hearts and to win their respect is a great position,” Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza said at the post-match presentation.Inspirational leader
Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza leads his team onto the field during the T20 World Cup cricket match against Sri Lanka in Colombo. (AP)
At the post-match presentation, Sikandar Raza told former Zimbabwean cricketer and commentator Pommie Mbangwa how everyone loved the underdog story.Zimbabwe had already defeated the two previous champions, Australia and Sri Lanka, in the group stage. In the Super Eight, they will play against two-time champions West Indies and India and the previous edition’s runners-up South Africa. Zimbabwe captain Raza describes his team as underdogs, but they are by no means the underdogs. They are gaining momentum and have a captain who knows a thing or two about chasing against the odds.After Raza humbled Sri Lanka, he vowed that his side was not done; reaching the Super Eight is simply part of a larger goal to bring lasting recognition to cricket in his country.“If we can win two out of three games, who knows what can happen. Everyone loves underdog stories,” said Raza, who exuded confidence after conquering Colombo.
If we win two out of three games, who knows what can happen. Everyone loves an underdog story
Sikandar Raza
In a professional career spanning nearly two decades, 39-year-old Raza has seen more dark days than bright ones.Raza’s journey from Sialkot, Pakistan to Zimbabwe was far from easy. It took him through unexpected detours that included dreams of becoming a pilot and a computer science degree at Glasgow University, before cricket finally took center stage after his family moved to Africa.After a dismal few years in international cricket followed by a life-threatening bone marrow infection in 2021, the all-rounder, now in the twilight of his career, has re-emerged as a faithful globetrotter across T20 leagues around the world.For Marumani, Raza is an inspirational figure that everyone looks up to. “A person like Raz in our dressing room who has played all over the world, played multiple franchise leagues and been in different dressing rooms, I think that experience and the inspiration that comes from him has played a really big role for everyone in our dressing room,” he said.
Zimbabwe’s Graeme Cremer, left, celebrates with captain Sikandar Raza for the wicket of Sri Lanka’s Kamindu Mendis during the T20 World Cup cricket match between Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Thursday, February 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)
Meanwhile, Zimbabwe assistant coach Dion Ebrahim suggests the team and coaching staff are brilliant with Raza around.“He’s a global superstar. He’s up there with the greats and he’ll go down as one of the greats. I’m personally delighted to be in the presence of brilliance,” he said.When pressed about what Raza brings to the dressing room, the former player added: “He brings all these superlatives. You could say inspiration, motivation, passion. But what he does consistently is lead with his actions. He’s vocal in the dressing room, but people follow him because of the brilliance with which he plays and his level, his intensity and his intensity. He’s diligent and he’s always trying to improve, the way he thinks about him. The level he operates at.”David vs Goliath
India and Zimbabwe Cricket Team (Agency Image)
In a week’s time, Zimbabwe will face favorites India at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.“I think the rankings and every other measurement will put us as underdogs, which is perfectly fine. Going into the World Cup this year, we were definitely the underdogs in the group and that’s where we like to operate,” Ebrahim said.“The advantage of being the underdog is that we go into these games with very little pressure, whereas most of them sit with India, playing at home, in familiar conditions, in a format that they have strengthened over time.“Our biggest challenge will be to make sure we don’t get overwhelmed by the occasion, the crowd or the atmosphere, especially as India inevitably build momentum. The confidence from today’s win helps us when we struggled with momentum several times in front of a strong Sri Lankan crowd.”“In terms of preparation and planning, we are satisfied that we have ticked the right boxes. T20 is a fickle format that is often decided by a moment or two. We just need to continue to perform at the level we know we are capable of, as we have in the last three matches,” the batsman said.The fall and rise of cricket in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe players celebrate the wicket of Australia’s Ben Dwarshuis during a T20 World Cup cricket match. (AP/PTI)
After missing out on the previous T20 World Cup in the USA and the Caribbean, Zimbabwe were forced into sub-regional qualifiers against the likes of Mozambique, Rwanda, Seychelles and Gambia. Defeats to Namibia and Uganda in the 2023 African finals meant the world No.11 became the only Test nation to miss out on the 2024 event, prompting them to restart another qualifying cycle from the bottom in Kenya.Australia, as co-hosts with New Zealand, are assured of a place at the 2028 FIFA World Cup despite this year’s early exit, their first group-stage exit since 2009. In contrast, Zimbabwe have already sealed qualification for 2028 by knocking out Australia to reach the Super Eight, capping a remarkable turnaround after years of struggling through the qualifiers.Zimbabwe’s history in major ICC tournaments has been a rollercoaster. This dates back to their first post-50 World Cup appearance in 1983, when they announced themselves on the global stage with Australia’s stunning 13 runs in the country’s first ever ODI.Recently, Zimbabwe’s struggles at major tournaments have been stark. They failed to qualify for the 2019 10-team ODI World Cup in England for the first time in 36 years after losing to the United Arab Emirates in a global qualifier hosted at home. The setbacks continued as they missed out on the 2021 T20 World Cup following an ICC suspension due to government interference and then again fell short in qualifying for the 2023 World Cup in India after home defeats to Sri Lanka and Scotland.
Zimbabwe stunned Pakistan by one run in the 2022 FIFA World Cup T20. (PTI)
There were short highs. Zimbabwe reached the Super Eight stage of the 2022 T20 World Cup for the first time, stunning Pakistan by one run in Perth. But a shock five-wicket loss to Uganda in 2023 marked a new low. Sikandar Raza later said the humiliation triggered a shift in mindset and set Zimbabwe on a new path, which has now produced its best results at a major tournament since 1999 when they beat India and South Africa.“I remember when they told us we had to play the sub-regional qualifier B in Kenya,” Raza said after his team secured a place in the Super Eight with Tuesday’s elimination against Ireland.“I remember sitting down with the team and saying either we are sorry and ashamed or we understand the reality. The reality was that we were in this mess because of us and we were the only ones who could get out of it. We came together and worked with one goal, which was to win the qualifiers, get to the World Cup and then write our own history and story.”“We all sat down and planned a plan. We knew along the way that we were going to have bad games and that there was going to be a lot of criticism. But if we stayed true to our plan, continued to believe in ourselves and create a better culture and environment for the team to thrive in, it would be fine. To see the results after almost two years is definitely very gratifying.”