COLOMBO: Zimbabwe pulled off a stunning upset in the 19th match of the T20 World Cup, defeating Australia by 23 runs.
The match, held at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, saw Zimbabwe’s pace attack successfully restrict Australia from chasing down a target of 170 runs.
Australia’s batting lineup crumbled to 146 runs in 19.3 overs, falling short of the target. Matthew Renshaw top-scored for Australia with 65 runs, while Glenn Maxwell contributed 31, and captain Travis Head made 17 runs before being dismissed. The remaining eight Australian batsmen were unable to make a significant impact, as none of them even managed to reach double figures.
For Zimbabwe, Blessing Muzarabani was the standout bowler, claiming 4 wickets for just 17 runs. Brad Evans also made a significant contribution with the ball, taking 3 wickets for 23 runs. Muzarabani’s remarkable figures of 4 wickets for 17 runs not only set a new record for the best bowling performance by a Zimbabwean in a T20 World Cup match but also marked the best T20I bowling performance against any full member team. Moreover, Muzarabani achieved his 100th T20I wicket during this match.
Earlier in the game, Australian captain Travis Head won the toss and invited Zimbabwe to bat first. Zimbabwe’s openers provided a solid start, adding 61 runs for the first wicket. Takudzwanashe Marumani made a valuable contribution with 35 runs before being dismissed.
