West Indies' Shimron Hetmyer, second from left, celebrates with teammates after their win against Zimbabwe during the T20 World Cup cricket match in Mumbai, India, Monday, Feb. 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)ZIM vs WI, Zimbabwe vs West Indies T20 World Cup: Gudakesh Motie took 4 wickets while Akeal Hosein chipped in with 3 scalps as West indies defeated Zimbabwe by a massive 107 runs. For Zimbabwe, tail-ender Brad Evans slammed a quickfire 43 off 21 deliveries but it wasn’t enough.
Earlier, Shimron Hetmyer scored the fastest half century by a West Indies player in a T20 World Cup en route to his 85 runs while Rovman Powell slammed 59 as the Windies scored 254/6, the second highest team total in T20 World Cups, against Zimbabwe at Wankhede. After Hetmyer and Powell had departed, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd and Jason Holder chipped in with important cameos to help WI post such a massive total.
Zimbabwe vs West Indies T20 LIVE Cricket Score, Full Scorecard: Watch Here
Zimbabwe skipper Sikandar Raza got the call right at the toss and opted to bowl first against the West Indies at Wankhede on Monday. Zimbabwe are the surprise package of this T20 World Cup while the West Indies seem to have turned up with the kind of consistent firepower one would normally expect from the two-time champions but often not see. West Indies head coach Daren Sammy was very clear that they are not giving too much stock into talk of Zimbabwe being the underdogs here and are as serious about this game as they would be if they were preparing to face a bigger side.
It will be interesting to see how Zimbabwe adapt to the Indian grounds they will be playing on in the Super Eights. Their route to the Super 8s was shaped by how effectively they adapted to conditions in Sri Lanka. The pitches were often slow, demanding patience and game awareness rather than aggression. Zimbabwe responded by pacing their innings smartly, building solid foundations before accelerating. The larger boundaries also meant bowlers stayed in the contest for longer periods. India, however, presents a different challenge.
Zimbabwe: Brian Bennett, Tadiwanashe Marumani(w), Ryan Burl, Sikandar Raza(c), Dion Myers, Tony Munyonga, Tashinga Musekiwa, Wellington Masakadza, Brad Evans, Graeme Cremer, Blessing Muzarabani, Richard Ngarava, Ben Curran, Clive Madande, Tinotenda Maposa
West Indies: Brandon King, Shai Hope(w/c), Shimron Hetmyer, Roston Chase, Sherfane Rutherford, Rovman Powell, Jason Holder, Matthew Forde, Akeal Hosein, Gudakesh Motie, Shamar Joseph, Romario Shepherd, Jayden Seales, Quentin Sampson, Johnson Charles
Forde back in the attack and Ngarava on strike. Starts with back to back dots. Takes a single and this is the highest partnership of the innings. AND JONES IS GONE, DIES BY HIS SWORD!! Holes out to Akeal Hosein . WI win by 107 runs
Shamar Joseph with the ball now and Evan with a scoop shot for SIX!! Absolutely playing the field here. After 3 dots, Evans has gone again and cleared the ropes for 6 more. He is playing quite a hand here!! Ends the over with 6 MORE!! Absolute carnage here!!
ZIM 145/9 after 17 overs
Holder to bowl the 16th over. ZIM need 146 from30 deliveries. An impossible task. Starts with a wide and a miss. Evans gets four more now, followed by a HUGE SIX!! Where was this aggression earlier? Would you know it!! He has gone and snatched another six!! Evans is playing a delightful cameo here.
ZIM 127/9 after 16 overs
Akeal Hosein back in the attack and Blessing Muzarabani tries to take him on and he has holed out to Shamar joseph. ZIM are almost done and dusted.
Blessing Muzarabani c Shamar Joseph b Akeal Hosein 0(5)
Holder will continue and Evans takes a single to give strike to Cremer. AAAND THAT'S WICKET NUMBER 8 AS WELL!! Cremer pulls, gets a top edge and that has gone straight to Holder who pulls off a one-handed effort.
Graeme Cremer c and b Jason Holder 0(6)
Mote to bowl out with this over and he has struck again!! He is having a field day here!! Munyonga tries a slog sweep and that's straight down the throat of Shamar Joseph. Motie has 4 wickets
Tony Munyonga c Shamar Joseph b Gudakesh Motie 14(16)
Jason Holder to bowl his first over of the match now and yields just a single from the first 3 deliveries. Almost had a wicket too as Munyonga hits one in the air but it lands safely. Evans on strike and he flicks one to fine leg for four!! 100 up for Zimbabwe.
ZIM 101/6 after 12 overs
AAAND THAT'S ANOTHER!!! Tashinga Musekiwa tries to play with a straight bat and the delivery goes past the willow and cleans him up. Zimbabwe's resistance in tatters.
Tashinga Musekiwa b Gudakesh Motie 0(1)
Motie now with the ball and Raza has deposited him for a SIX!! Is this the over ZIM are going to target? Goes again and this time, misses and gets his stumps rattled!! Huge wicket.
Sikandar Raza b Gudakesh Motie 27(20)
Joseph to continue and starts with 2 singles from the first couple of deliveries. That won't do for ZIM. They need big hits now with the required rate climbing over 16 per over. Raza gets the memo as he slams a 6 over fine leg!!
ZIM 87/4 after 10 overs
Motie continues and yields just 1 from the first couple of deliveries which is followed by a sweep shot for a SIX by Munyonga. Two singles next as the ZIM batters keep the scorecard ticking. 10 off the over.
ZIM 75/4 after 9 overs
Shamar Joseph introduced now and after a couple of singles, Raza swings his bat and finds a gap for four!! A single follows to put Munyonga on strike. 8 from the over ultimately.
ZIM 65/4 after 8 overs
Gudakesh Motie in the attack now and Myers starts things off with a straight four!! AAAND HE'S GONE THE VERY NEXT BALL!! The delivery just went through his defence as the batter plays across the line and rattled his stumps.
Dion Myers b Gudakesh Motie 28(15)
Forde will bowl the last over of the powerplay and after a wide, Myers slams him for a six to start things off!! Follows it up with a single. What can Raza do? He got hit on his fingertips while bowling. Will that hamper his strokeplay? Just a leg bye now as Myers is brought back on strike. Required Run rate is over 14 now with ZIM striking at a little under 8. 11 from this one.
ZIM 47/3 after 6 overs
Hosein will continue and after a defence, Myers gets an edge and a four!! They'll take anything at this juncture. Follows that up with 2 dots before Myers slogs it over the ropes for a SIX!! 11 from this one.
ZIM 36/3 after 5 overs
Forde in to bowl the 4th and Dion Myers with a four to start off his innings. He follows that up with a single to give Raza the strike. Just 5 from this over ultimately.
ZIM 25/3 after 4 overs
And would you know it!!! Akeal Hosein has got another as Ryan Burl tries to go hard and hits it straight into the grateful hands of Hetmyer. Zimbabwe already in deep trouble.
Ryan Burl c Shimron Hetmyer b Akeal Hosein 0(3)
AAAND ONE BRINGS TWO AS BENNETT IS BEATEN IN THE AIR AND HAS HIS STUMPS SCARAMBLED!! This is also the first time the batter has been dismissed in this tournament.
Brian Bennett b Akeal Hosein 5(5)
Forde in to bowl the next over and starts with a wide. Bennett looks to make some room for himself and misses. Lucky that it did not hit the stumps. And he gets a thick edge as a diving Shamar Joseph can't get a hand to it as the ball races to the boundary. Takes a single next and Marumani can see off this over. And he does so with a four before getting a big edge that flies to Hetmyer in the deep.
Tadiwanashe Marumani c Shimron Hetmyer b Matthew Forde 14(8)
Back for the run chase and Tadiwanashe Marumani and Brian Bennett open. Akeal Hosein with the new ball in hand and there's a huge shout for LBW right from the off. Umpire says no. And WI review. DRS shows the wickets are missing so that's a review lost early. Marumani with a shot for a four now as the ball spun in front of Hetmyer and evades him to reach the ropes. And Marumani ends the over with a six!!
ZIM 10/0 after 1 over
Last over. Muzarabani to bowl. Can WI get to 250? And Jason Holder says yes, as he slams a straight six to start the over. And that's followed up with another maximum!! Absolute carnage here at Wankhede. AAAND A WICKET NOW!! Holder has been caught out at long off. Forde the new man in and he takes a single to start so Rutherford can finish this one off. And he does so with a four!! WI post a massive 254/6, the highest team score of this World Cup.
Ngarava brought back to bowl the penultimate over of the innings. That means Blessing will be handed the ball in the last over. Rutherford with a single to start, followed by another SIX by Shepherd!! He's playing a delightful cameo here. Follows that up with another SIX, this time over long off!! Ungodly power!! 250 back on. AAAND HE'S GONE TRYING TO HIT ANOTHER BIG SHOT. Goes high up in the air and Ryan Burl takes the catch.
Romario Shepherd c Ryan Burl b Richard Ngarava 21(10)
Evans now to bowl the 18th and starts with a venomous yorker that Shepherd just about keeps out. 2 singles from the first two deliveries now. Make it 2 from the first 4 deliveries as Shepherd swings and misses on both occasions. AAAND HE FINALLY CONNECTS and that has flown over long on for SIX!!
WI 216/4 after 18 overs
Muzarabani back in the attack now and he strikes!! Powell tries a swivel pull and has played it straight into the hands of Tashinga Musekiwa. That will give him loads of confidence after those drops off hetmyer.
Rovman Powell c Tashinga Musekiwa b Blessing Muzarabani 59(35)
Last 5 overs left and Raza will bowl the 16th. Can Zimbabwe keep the score under 250? Rutherford with a single to start before Powell muscles the next ball over the ropes for a SIX!! Full toss ball and it's hit straight and crashes into Raza's fingertips. Zim will hope he is ok. The physio is checking on him now. He is ok to continue though so it's good news for ZIM. Oh dear!! It's a no ball now. And Rutherford with a four to end.
WI 194/3 after 16 overs
Cremer to bowl out in this over and Powell takes a single to complete his half century. Hetmyer on strike and he goes down on one knee and smashes a SIX!! Tries to go for another and this time, Bennett has taken the catch!! Huge relief for Zimbabwe.
Shimron Hetmyer c Brian Bennett b Graeme Cremer 85(34)
Evans continues and Powell with a six over long off to bring up the 100-run partnership. And he gets a huge edge which flies over everyone to get another boundary!! Dug in short and Powell swings and that's gone over the slips to the third man boundary!!
WI 169/2 after 14 overs
Myers brought into the attack now and after a wide, Hetmyer slams a boundary to continue his carnage. Powell follows it up with a four of his own as Zimbabwe bowlers look absolutely out of ideas. The over ends with a huge six that has landed in the second tier off Powell's willow.
WI 150/2 after 13 overs
Evans into the attack again and starts with a wide. Powell with a single next to put Hetmyer on strike and oh dear god!!! Hetmyer has been dropped again!! And it's the same man, Musekiwa who had dropped him on 9!! Cricket can be a cruel game and this is the finest example. And Powell flicks one off over the deep midwicket ropes!!
WI 131/2 after 12 overs
Cremer bowling the 11th and Powell swings and misses the first delivery before taking a single. That;s followed by 2 more singles as Powell and Hetmyer are going for boundaries but can't find the gaps. Good over under the circumstances. Just 5 from it.
WI 120/2 after 11 overs
Raza in again and Hetmyer welcomes him back with a monstrous 108m six to bring up West Indies' 100. Follows that up with a precision cut for four more. There's a review on LBW on Powell. Looks like there's a spike when the ball passes the bat, says UltraEdge. Hetmyer on strike again and he cuts for a four to end the over.
WI 115/2 after 10 overs
Cremer continues and yields back to back singles to start this over away. Powell joins the party as he slams a boundary off the third delivery. Almost a stump out but Powell survives. 6 from this over.
WI 98/2 after 9 overs
Raza brings himself into the attack now and Powell takes a ingle to put Hetmyer on strike. And he has picked up the second delivery, over the deep midwicket boundary for another 6!! And take that!!! Another one is deposited over the deep square leg fielder for SIX more!! That drop is looking more and more ominous for Zimbabwe. AAND ANOTHER!! That's his half century and it's the fastest by any West Indian in T20 World Cups.
WI 92/2 after 8 overs
Spin is in as Zimbabwe introduce Cremer to the proceedings. Powell with a single to start things off, followed by 2 runs by Hetmyer off a sweep. And he has switched gears as he slams back to back monster sixes to close out the over. What a display of power-hitting by Hetmyer!!
WI 72/2 after 7 overs
Change in bowling as Evans has been brought in by Zimbabwe. Starts with a dot, followed by a single by Hetmyer. Hope tries a big one, not totally in control as the ball just misses the player at the end of the inner circle. Follows that up with a smashing shot over deep extra cover for a four!!! Tries again but this time, he's gone!! Couldn't get the required distance as Brian Bennett flies through the air and completes a fine catch.
Shai Hope c Brian Bennett b Brad Evans 14(12)
Ngarava to bowl the penultimate over of the powerplay and Hetmyer goes for the same swivel pull again but this time gets leg byes for a four. Follows that up with a cut and a smash for back to back fours. Three fours already in this over. Takes a tight single next to put captain Hope on strike and he bookends the over with a drive for four to end. Expensive over.
WI 46/1 after 5 overs
On to the fourth and Muzarabani will bowl this one and starts with a good length delivery which Hetmyer plays into the ground before swivel pulling the second delivery over short fine leg for a four!! AAAAND HE HAS BEEN DROPPED!! Went for the same shot and this time, it's gone straight to Musekiwa but he spills it!! How costly will that be? 7 from this one.
WI 29/1 after 4 overs
Ngarava contimnues and he errs in line as King flicks off his pads to get a boundary past the keeper to third man. Goes even one better the next delivery as he absolutely clobbers over deep midwicket for a SIX!!! Goes to the well again and this time, the pull is played straight into the hands of Tashinga Musekiwa.
Brandon King c Tashinga Musekiwa b Richard Ngarava 9(12)
Muzarabani will bowl the next over and King with a defence to start this over off. Tries a pull, doesn't get all of it and can get just a single next. Hope returns the favour with a single of his own and Blessing with a jaffa to welcome King back on strike!! Just 3 from this one.
WI 7/0 after 2 overs
And we are underway with Ngarava opening the Zimbabwe attack against Shai Hope and Brandon King. A single by King to get off the strike straightaway. Hope also returns the favour with a single of his own as Ngarava keeps up the good length deliveries. Just 4 from this one.
WI 4/0 after 1 over
The players are out in the middle and it's national anthems time. West indies first, followed by Zimbabwe's.
Raza: We're going to have a bowl first. Looking at the history, it's a ground that's a lot suitable for chasing. Want to give our seamers a chance for early inroads. Ngarava replaces Masakadza. It's an honour to play one of the champions at an iconic ground like this.
Hope: Would've probably bowled first as well. We got good history behind us at this ground but have to play well on the day. Shepherd comes in, Chase misses out.
Zimbabwe: Brian Bennett, Tadiwanashe Marumani(w), Dion Myers, Sikandar Raza(c), Ryan Burl, Tony Munyonga, Tashinga Musekiwa, Brad Evans, Graeme Cremer, Richard Ngarava, Blessing Muzarabani
West Indies: Brandon King, Shai Hope(w/c), Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Jason Holder, Romario Shepherd, Matthew Forde, Akeal Hosein, Gudakesh Motie, Shamar Joseph
Here's the coin flip and it's Sikandar Raza who has called correctly as Zimbabwe won the toss and opted to bowl first vs West indies at Wankhede
The first thing you notice about Blessing Muzarabani, 29, is the height. Six foot eight. The second thing, if you’re paying attention, is what Tatenda Taibu saw when he first met the kid at Takashinga Cricket Club in Harare’s Highfield suburb: hunger. (READ MORE)
West Indies, only the third unbeaten team in this edition of the T20 World Cup alongside India and South Africa, were expected to brush debutants Italy aside, more so after being sent out to bat first on a batting-friendly surface at the Eden Gardens. But their batting lineup, except captain Shai Hope, who scored a brisk 75, failed to fire against a resilient Italian bowling attack. The West Indies bowlers, however, saved them the blushes by masterminding a 42-run victory as Italy’s first World Cup ended with just a lone win and a lot of what ifs.
Zimbabwe's route to the Super 8s was shaped by how effectively they adapted to conditions in Sri Lanka. The pitches were often slow, demanding patience and game awareness rather than aggression. Zimbabwe responded by pacing their innings smartly, building solid foundations before accelerating. The larger boundaries also meant bowlers stayed in the contest for longer periods.
India, however, presents a different challenge. The smaller grounds in Mumbai and Delhi, where Zimbabwe will face South Africa on March 1, encourage a higher tempo, with shorter boundaries and quicker outfields, placing a premium on proactive strokeplay. Even when surfaces are not entirely flat, matches here move rapidly, and the pressure can intensify as the tournament narrows to stronger sides. Zimbabwe’s task will be to identify scoring options earlier without abandoning the composure that has underpinned their success. Their bowlers must quickly assess whether variation or pace will be more effective through the middle overs.
The vibrant and colourful Zimbabwe fans were one of the great features of the group stage of the ICC T20 World Cup, as they cheered for their side that upset established powers Australia and Sri Lanka to stay unbeaten. But as the side makes the trip across the Palk Straits to India for their Super Eights fixtures, they may not have too many backing them from the stands. The reason is a very basic one: money. The Zimbabwe fans have suffered a lot over the last couple of decades and most of them may have been pleasantly surprised at what their team managed to achieve in Colombo. They may not have expected their team to get out of their group – that too as toppers – and haven’t made their arrangements for the next stage of the competition. Requests have subsequently been made to business houses to ensure that there is at least some Zimbabwean representation in the stands in Mumbai, Chennai and Delhi and further, if the team progresses to the semifinals. “I urge local businessmen to support our team, just like they do for football. Let’s ferry prominent supporters to the games and create an electrifying environment for our boys,” Paul Mungofa, the leader of the fan group Brass Band, was quoted as saying by NewsDay.
The match will be played on a flat deck which will be conducive for Zimbabwe to go toe to toe with the big hitters in West Indies. This will reportedly be the same pitch that was used in the India vs USA match where the Indian batters struggled. Let's wait and watch what it throws up in this encounter.
Romario Shepherd who sat out the Windies matches against Nepal and then Italy is expected to come back in the side on Monday with last match's hero Matthew Forde giving way.
Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza is not a satisfied man. Zimbabwe’s qualification for the Super 8 stage of the T20 World Cup has become one of the defining stories of the tournament, yet their journey in the competition seems to be only starting. Few predicted they would progress from their group, and even fewer imagined they would top it. Yet Zimbabwe arrive in Mumbai carrying momentum and belief as they prepare to face the West Indies at the Wankhede Stadium on Monday. (READ SHANKAR NARAYAN'S PREVIEW HERE)
Here's how the Group 1 points table looks after India's loss to South Africa on Sunday
“It’s the first time in a long time that we’ve had every single person that is available for the West Indies playing. Each player has put in a conscious effort to pay a little bit more attention to the detail, the preparation, the planning. With the clarity that they’ve had (of their roles), it makes it easier to execute. The guys believe they could do something special,” Sammy said in a press conference.
Zimbabwe: Brian Bennett, Tadiwanashe Marumani(w), Ryan Burl, Sikandar Raza(c), Dion Myers, Tony Munyonga, Tashinga Musekiwa, Wellington Masakadza, Brad Evans, Graeme Cremer, Blessing Muzarabani, Richard Ngarava, Ben Curran, Clive Madande, Tinotenda Maposa
West Indies: Brandon King, Shai Hope(w/c), Shimron Hetmyer, Roston Chase, Sherfane Rutherford, Rovman Powell, Jason Holder, Matthew Forde, Akeal Hosein, Gudakesh Motie, Shamar Joseph, Romario Shepherd, Jayden Seales, Quentin Sampson, Johnson Charles
West Indies:
vs South Africa on February 26
vs India on March 1
Zimbabwe:
vs India on February 26
vs South Africa on March 1
Feb 9: Defeated Oman by 8 wickets
Feb 13: Defeated Australia by 23 runs
Feb 17: Shared points with Ireland
Feb 19: Defeated Sri Lanka by 6 wickets
Feb 7: Defeated Scotland by 35 runs
Feb 11: Defeated England by 30 runs
Feb 15: Defeated Nepal by 9 wickets
Feb 19: Defeated Italy by 42 runs
Zimbabwe and West Indies have played just 4 T20I matches against each other with the Caribbean team winning 3 and the African nation winning just 1.
ZIM: Brian Bennett, Tadiwanashe Marumani (w), Ryan Burl, Sikandar Raza (c), Dion Myers, Tony Munyonga, Tashinga Musekiwa, Wellington Masakadza, Brad Evans, Richard Ngarava, Blessing Muzarabani
WI: Brandon King, Shai Hope(w/c), Shimron Hetmyer, Roston Chase, Sherfane Rutherford, Rovman Powell, Jason Holder, Romario Shepherd, Akeal Hosein, Gudakesh Motie, Shamar Joseph
One wouldn't really have expected to see the West Indies performing as consistently as they have in this tournament, the mercurial side that they have been in the last few big ICC events. And one certainly wouldn't have expected Zimbabwe to top a group that had Australia in it, with the latter being knocked out altogether. Two exciting sets of players go head to head today at the Wankhede. Stay tuned for more updates!
"How many of you picked Zimbabwe to be a semi-finalist? Only one. So maybe we haven’t done enough yet. That motivates us. We’ll give it our best shot." Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza is not a satisfied man. Zimbabwe’s qualification for the Super 8 stage of the T20 World Cup has become one of the defining stories of the tournament, yet their journey in the competition seems to be only starting. Few predicted they would progress from their group, and even fewer imagined they would top it. Yet Zimbabwe arrive in Mumbai carrying momentum and belief as they prepare to face the West Indies at the Wankhede Stadium on Monday. READ MORE.
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