Zimbabwe chased 179 against Sri Lanka to remain unbeaten and finish top of their group, carrying confidence into the Super 8 stage of the tournament.
Zimbabwe completed a six-wicket win to finish unbeaten and secure top spot in the group stage. Chasing 179, they showed calm under pressure and reinforced their reputation for successful run chases at this venue, having chased 174 here in 2024. Sikandar Raza earned Player of the Match for a rapid 45 off 26 balls.
Earlier, Sri Lanka posted 178/7 after choosing to bat. Pathum Nissanka scored 62, while Kusal Perera made 22 in a 54-run opening stand inside 4.5 overs. Sri Lanka reached 61/1 at the end of the powerplay but struggled against spin in the middle overs. Blessing Muzarabani removed Perera and varied pace effectively, making scoring difficult on the slow surface.
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In response, Brian Bennett scored 63 and captain Sikandar Raza added a quick 45 to guide Zimbabwe to 182/4 in 19.3 overs, sealing top spot. Earlier, Graeme Cremer 2/27, Blessing Muzarabani 2/38 and Brad Evans 2/35 shared the wickets. Both teams have already progressed to the Super 8 stage.
Zimbabwe topping a group that includes Australia and Sri Lanka.. absolutely phenomenal! #SLvZIM #T20WorldCup
— S.Badrinath (@s_badrinath) February 19, 2026
Zim get it done v Sri Lanka , peaking at the right time 👏 #T20WorldCup
— Herschelle Gibbs (@hershybru) February 19, 2026
Terrific cricket from Zimbabwe 🙌🏾🙌🏾.
— Ian Raphael Bishop (@irbishi) February 19, 2026
Zimbabwe haven’t put a foot wrong so far in this World Cup!
— Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99) February 19, 2026
OG Zimbabwe feels🔥🔥#T20WorldCup
Congratulations J&K for reaching the Ranji trophy finals for the first time. Outstanding effort. It’s great for the game – to see you playing the final. Well done to my home state Karnataka for entering the finals once again. All the best guys!!
— Anil Kumble (@anilkumble1074) February 19, 2026
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