T20 World Cup | Ishan Kishan Press Conference: Indian batting collapses in fifty against Namibia
Marumani made 35, gifting Ben Dwarshuis two boundaries in one and Glenn Maxwell three in the other. Bennett joined the attack with two fours off Matthew Kuhnemann as Zimbabwe reached 47 for no loss at the end of the Powerplay. They were 61 for 1 and moved to 79 for 1 at the halfway mark before adding 46 runs in the next five overs to reach 125 for 1 after 15 overs.Ryan Burl chipped in with 35 while skipper Sikandar Raza remained unbeaten on a brisk 25 off 13 balls. Despite having wickets in hand, Zimbabwe managed just one six in the innings and added 44 runs in the last five overs as Australia struggled at the death. Adam Žampa was handled with confidence and returned 0/31 from four overs.In response, Australia’s chase of 170 unraveled quickly. They slumped to 29 for 4 in just 4.3 overs, losing Josh Inglis (8), Travis Head (17), Cameron Green (0) and Tim David (0) in a dramatic top-order collapse. From 38 for 4 at the end of the Powerplay, they climbed to 67 for 4 at the halfway mark, still needing 103 runs.Matt Renshaw waged a lone battle with a 44-ball 65 while Maxwell contributed 31. The pair stitched 77 runs for the fifth wicket in 9.5 overs to revive hopes. But Burl broke the partnership when Maxwell inside hit his stumps.Australia needed 56 from the last five overs but Marcus Stoinis, who had earlier left the field after being hit on the hand trying to catch Burla back, fell for 6. Bennett then took a stunning catch on the boundary to dismiss Dwarshuis (7) for the third wicket of Brad Evans (3/23). With 34 needed from 12 balls, Australia lost Renshaw and Zampa (2) in the 19th over before Matthew Kuhnemann (0) was run out in the final over to be bowled out for 146 in 19.3 overs.Blessing Muzarabani was the standout with a career-defining 4/17 — Zimbabwe’s best bowling figures in a T20 World Cup match and second best against Australia in the tournament after R Ashwin’s 4/11 at Mirpur in 2014. Wellington Masakadza (1/36) and Burl (1/9) offered solid support.The win in Colombo marked Zimbabwe’s fifth victory over Australia across formats — after successes at Trent Bridge (1983 ODI WC, by 13 runs under Duncan Fletcher), Cape Town (2007 T20 WC, by 5 wickets), Harare (2014 ODI, by 3 wickets under Elton Chigumbura), 2nd and now Colombo (2026 T20 WC, by 23 runs under Raza).Notably, Zimbabwe remains the only team with a 100% win record against Australia in the Men’s Under-20 World Cup. The night also highlighted their bowling pedigree in T20Is – Richard Ngarava (111 wickets), Raza (103) and Muzarabani (100) all crossed the 100-wicket mark – underlining a golden chapter in Zimbabwe’s cricketing history.Zimbabwe wins across formats vs AustraliaBy 13 runs (ODI), Trent Bridge, 1983 WC (c: Duncan Fletcher)Under 5 weeks (T20I), Cape Town, WC 2007 (c: Prosper Utseya)Under 3 Weeks (ODI), Harare, 2014 (c: Elton Chigumbura)Under 3 Weeks (ODI), Townsville, 2022 (c: Regis Chakabva)Under 23 runs (T20I), Colombo RPS, 2026 WC (c: Sikandar Raza)*Zimbabwe win against other FM teams in WC T20vs AUS, Cape Town, 2007vs IRE, Hobart, 2022vs PAK, Perth, 2022vs. AUS, Colombo, 2026*Zimbabwe are the only team with a 100% win over Australia in the Men’s T20 World Cup.Over 100 wickets for ZIM in T20Is111 – Ship Richard103 – Sikandar Raza100 – Blessing of Muzarabani4/17 from Muzarabani is Zimbabwe’s best bowling figure in WC T20 match.This is also the second best bowling figure against Australia in a WC T20 match behind R Ashwin’s 4/11 at Mirpur in 2014.