Australia vs Zimbabwe highlights, T20 World Cup 2026: Blessing Muzarabani takes four wickets as Zimbabwe stun Australia in Colombo

A very proud Sikandar Raza reacts after the match: "Someone said we can go for 190 but in the change room we knew if we try to go for 190, we are 140 all out. We've seen in Sri Lanka that you can end up losing wickets if you go too hard too early. So we sent a message to Benny (Brian Bennett) that he's doing well and we'll get to a good score if he stays through, not to worry if the runs don't flow. And then the fielding, the catching, the boundary stopping ... looked like the boys really wanted it. We'll allow the boys to celebrate this win. We are in a great position, but it doesn't mean anything. So the next game is now the most important one and we will start working towards that." Also adds that they had only 13 fit bodies available today even before his cramps.

Player of the match: Blessing Muzarabani, for those massive early wickets and handy late breakthroughs. Four for him.

WHAT A RESULT!

Raza is celebrating from the dugout, the cramp will feel much better as adrenaline runs through his body now. He gave their innings a much-needed late boost, with Bennett holding forte from the start. In the run-chase, Australia shot themselves in the foot in the powerplay, as Blessing Muzarabani and Brad Evans were superb to pick four wickets. Renshaw fought his heart out but Zimbabwe were always ahead.

26 needed off the last over and this is just a formality for Zimbabwe now.

Brad Evans to close it out.

AND THAT SHOULD BE THAT! A lovely change of pace from Blessing, Renshaw HAS to go for the big shot but is early into it and skies it to Ryan Burl at cover. Zimbabwe on the brink of a famous, famous win. End of a fine innings from Renshaw, quite possibly the best innings of the day but it's going to be in a losing cause.

Matt Renshaw c Ryan Burl b Blessing Muzarabani 65 (44 balls)

WHAT A CATCH! WOWZER! It's a length ball from Evans, Dwarshius knows this is there to be hit, and goes over midwicket, but Munyonga flies to his right and takes a stunning catch. He had saved a certain six sometime back but this is even better.

Ben Dwarshuis c Tony Munyonga b Brad Evans 6 (7 balls)

Cremer goes through a tidy over quickly to finish his spell, no boundaries conceded when Australia are in need of at least two in an over. Australia need 41 off the last three overs and it is down to how much Renshaw can lift his game here.

The required rate is a tad under 14.

ANOTHER WICKET! Stoinis' stay in the middle is brief. The left hand comes off the bat handle as he mishits the slog sweep, so he must be in pain. He was aiming to go square but finds the fielder at deep midwicket.

Marcus Stoinis c Tashinga Musekiwa b Wellington Masakadza 6 (4 balls)

Stoinis, usually, would fancy himself in a 11-run per over situation at the death but this is a tough pitch to bat on and he injured his hand earlier, so remains to be seen how much he can push. Starts his innings with a nice reverse paddle for four.

Another brilliant over for Australia and it is the Renshaw Show, not the Big Show. The big left-hander takes on the left arm spin of Masakadza, a good matchup option. First, a six down the ground and then, a classy conventional sweep. Maxwell continues to struggle but this partnership is reviving Australia's hopes;

Oh dear! Will Zimbabwe regret that? The pressure is building on Maxwell and he lets out a roar of frustration after mistming a reverse sweep. Next ball, Masakadza fires in a quicker one that Maxwell hits on the backfoot down the ground, but Myers cannot hold on at long on. Good effort but he has touched the rope with his feet. IT's a six. Great fielding effor by Madande off the last ball to prevent a four.

Raza comes back into the field. Australia just starting to move on.

Maxwell is already feeling the heat of the conditions somewhat it appears. Ambling across for runs, panting rather heavily and asking for some hydration at the end of the 10th over. Masakadza meanwhile bowls a tidy first over, five runs off it.

Required rate is 10.30 as we enter the 2nd half of the runchase.

The shoe is off Raza's left foot and he is finally starting to walk out off the field. Zimbabwe have to manage without their skipper's overs and tactics for at least the next few minutes here.

Cremer to bowl the 9th over now.

It's a boundary for Australia after what feels like an eternity as Renshaw takes on the medium pace of Myers. A lovely cut shot for four, that sped away through the square. Maxwell misses out on punishing a bad ball later in the over, that could have been worse than the 9-run over it was.

Ashwin on X: "Australia in trouble, Zimbabwe have been so good with the bat and ball so far. Great planning and superb execution! Look at how they have read the conditions in Colombo and ensured they attacked the power play and held wickets in hand all through the middle overs."

Renshaw is in the middle to join the Big Show. Maxwell would have to play an Afghanistan-esque knock here to take his side home.

In a somewhat positive sign for Australia, Stoinis is padded up to come in next potentially. He looks in pain for sure but Australia are going to need him for sure.

Maxwell is in at No 5 and he has to bail Australia out of some trouble here. Head still there. But can Stoinis bat today after the blow he took to his left hand? This is getting interesting.

Tim David is in at No 4 on his return to the playing XI. That's an interesting role for someone who usually just plays as a finisher.

Head too decides to take on the short ball from the tall Blessing, but he keeps it on the ground and has plenty of gap to work with through midwicket, goes for four. But a good over for Zimbabwe.

Green is the new batter in.

Zimbabwe waited for an eternity to hit a six, and Australia have one in the first over of the chase. Too full from Raza, Inglish decides to take him on down the ground. Risky with long on in place but clears the fielder. Head started off his innings with a four through cover and it is a fine first over for Australia.

Two dot balls in the first half of the 20th over... that is gold dust from Nathan Ellis. Terrific again with his lines and lengths. Then switches around the wicket to bowl another slower one that Bennett just cannot get away. ZIM just cross 160 with two balls left. No boundaries in the last two overs, with so much left in the tank, would not be good for Zimbabwe, but thanks to a sweep by Sikandar Raza that is not the case. Picks up a low full toss and hits a six off the last ball.

Australia wouldn't mind this though, ZIM restricted to 169/2.

MUCH-NEEDED OVER! Zimbabwe were in danger of finishing well below par but that over helps them get some late momentum as Raza and Bennett take on Dwarshius. The captain starts with a four down leg side and hits another couple od deliveries later. Bennett should have been out caught by Kunhemann at deep midwicket but it is dropped. The opener then scores a four off the last ball, lofting one on the up.

Cameron Green comes on to complete the Stoinis over and breaks the partnership. Short ball, Burl decides to take it on but can only top-edge it to the fielder at short third.

Ryan Burl c sub Xavier Bartlett b Cam Green 35 (30 balls)

After singing praises for Zimbabwe's "start" Wasim Akram has finally warmed up to the fact that they are going too slow here given the resources they still have left. And rightly so. Bennett hits a square cut for four and then takes a single to reach a 43-ball half-century. Solid, but needs to make this count, having spent so much time in the middle. Zampa conceded just that one four in that over, and it's 7 off it. Australia won't mind this, in all honesty.

Dwarshius comes into the attack and Bennett – who has barely crossed run-a-ball in this knock so far which is not ideal – goes down the ground to a length ball and clears mid off for a four. He needs to really get a move on.

Zimbabwe have 9 wickets left still, they really should be taking more risks at this stage of the innings, despite what Wasim Akram seems to think on air.

The shackles are loosened somewhat. Burl has been biding his time but the left-hander goes after one of Australia's prime threats in Nathan Ellis. An attempted slower bouncer is pulled away and then a fuller ball is smacked down the ground for a couple of fours in that over.

Travis Head and Josh Inglis will be having a word with each other after this innings presumably. That is ANOTHER SHOCKING REVIEW for a caught behind. The noise didn't sound woody even on broadcast, clearly seemed to be coming off the thigh pad and the replays confirm it immediately. Two reviews wasted for similar appeals. Odd end to an otherwise tidy over from Green.

And Australia have a breakthrough. Stoinis comes back into the attack and breaks the opening partnership. A cross-seam delivery cramps Marumani on the angle, there is not enough width to cut it, so he mishits and is caught behind.

Tadiwanashe Marumani c Josh Inglis b Marcus Stoinis 35 (21 balls)

A solid powerplay, or the launch phase as it has been renamed for this World Cup, as Zimbabwe finish without losing a wicket and nearly getting to 50. A four for Bennett as Ellis comes on to bowl his first over. There is not much help on the pitch for the bowlers here clearly, but Zimbabwe have done well to put some pressure back on the favourites.

END OF POWERPLAY. DRINKS. ZIM 47/0.

Marumani on the charge here! Maxwell comes into bowl and the left-hander takes on the spinner with some style. Starts the over with a reverse-hit for four, repeats it later in the over. And then throws in a conventional sweep as well for good measure. Three fours in that over.

Stoinis shares the new ball with Dwarshius and starts off with a delivery that shapes back into the left-handed Marumani but goes wide. Tests the lefty with a bouncer later and the mishit pull shot falls short of Ellis in the deep. A very tidy over from Stoinis too.

Ben Dwarshius to start things off with his left-arm pace. Bennett and Marumani in the middle for Zimbabwe.

National anthems done and we are good to go.

Blessing Muzarabani (96) is four away from becoming the third player to record 100 wickets for Zimbabwe in men’s T20Is (Richard Ngarava – 111, Sikandar Raza – 103); he’s taken at least two wickets in each of his last two innings in the format.

Via Opta / ICC

Australia haven't had too many options to pick from... but they have still made two changes with Cooper Connolly and Xavier Bartlett sitting out. Ben Dwarshius and Tim David, who was fighting to get fit for the backend of the tournament, are back into the XI.

Australia win the toss, Travis Head is the captain once more... and he opts to bowl first.

Australia will be aiming for consecutive wins in men’s T20Is in Asia for the first time since June 2022, following their 67-run victory against Ireland last time out (11 February 2026) which snapped a five-match losing run on the continent in the format – they had lost to Pakistan before the tournament. On the other side, Zimbabwe have scored at least 60% of their runs from boundaries in each of their last three men’s T20I innings; they hadn’t done so in any of their six innings in the format prior to that span.

via Opta / ICC