Australia Vs Zimbabwe, ICC T20 World Cup 2026: Who Said What After Kangaroos' Embarrassing 23-Run Loss

Australia and Zimbabwe faced off in their Group B clash at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. Australia, missing key players through injury and led by Travis Head, won the toss and elected to field first against a confident Zimbabwe side that had begun the tournament with a strong win over Oman.

Zimbabwe’s batters made the most of the conditions, posting a competitive total of 169/2 in their 20 overs, anchored by an unbeaten 64 from Brian Bennett and handy contributions from skipper Sikandar Raza as they negotiated the powerplay and built momentum through the middle overs.

In response, Australia’s chase got off to a difficult start as they lost momentum early, slipping to 29/4 inside the first five overs with Zimbabwe’s bowlers applying pressure from the outset. Matt Renshaw provided a solid resistance with a fighting 65, and Glenn Maxwell chipped in with 31, but Australia were unable to build consistent partnerships.

Zimbabwe’s disciplined bowling, led by Blessing Muzarabani (4/17) and supported by Brad Evans, proved decisive as they closed out the match by 23 runs, bowling Australia out before they could reach the target.

The result marked one of the tournament’s biggest upsets and puts serious pressure on Australia’s hopes of progressing to the Super Eight stage, while Zimbabwe celebrated a memorable victory that echoed their famous 2007 win over the same opponents.

Blessing Muzarabani Reacts on Winning POTM

"I think one of those, because I was bowling to one of the best players in the world (on bowling to Travis Head). So I was really happy that today really came off really nice. The good thing, I saw the boundary, it was in my favour. So I just had to use the boundary and the wicket was really slow as well. So I just had to adjust. I also believe that everyone really bowled well. And everyone else, you know, came in for the team. So yes, we missed Richi (Ngarava), but Brad (Evans) really bowled well. Especially when you're tall, it's sometimes really hard to really know that yorker, but sometimes you just try and look for whatever is working on the day. Yes, it's really good (to beat Australia), but it's also nice to qualify (for the Super-8). So we'll be thinking about the next step."

Also Check: Australia Vs Zimbabwe Highlights, T20 World Cup 2026

AUS Captain Travis Head Reacts On The Loss

"We thought it was a good wicket. It was a little bit tacky at the start. We thought it was going to be pretty even throughout the whole contest and I think it showed that it was. I thought we did ok although we'd taken only two wickets in our innings, I felt like it was still probably under-par. So, felt like it came on really well in the second innings. We lost wickets. The first half was under pressure. They played well, like I said, I still felt like if you gave us that score after winning the toss and applying off it did, I think we'd take the score. So, I don't think, like you look back and there's no over here or there that you might do differently or switch around, but I felt like we worked through it well and we were on the score that we would have been happy to chase."

"The feedback throughout was it was a good wicket. We put ourselves under pressure, obviously losing wickets in the power play. And like I said, put some pressure and the scoreboard rate went up. We, I guess, found a partnership through the middle, but probably left ourselves a little bit too many and that happens. So, it's disappointing, but that's the game. We've been here before. We said at the toss a little bit about having injuries and working through tournament play, which is typical. And we're seeing a lot of tight games. All the teams are very good. And yeah, we've found ourselves in this position before. We had a few guys in that dressing room who were here in India in 2023 (WC) that navigated through that and we ended up on the right side of it. So, we'll go back to the blueprint of that to keep as much confidence in the dressing room as possible and two more games to win."

Zimbabwe Captain Sikandar Raza Reacts On The Win

"No, I've been here before. I mean, I know in Sri Lanka, this is not the first time that's happened, but sometimes, you know, just the pressure of the game and leading a side, the workload and everything, these things can happen. But all I can tell you is, these are just cramps. I know over the next day or two with good recovery, it should be fine. Yeah, certainly, you know. I'm very happy, but above all, I'm very proud, a feeling of a brother who has his younger brother that's achieving a lot together. So it was nice to watch from outside and see how the team went about their business, the culture, the environment, the unity that we have taken, that we have created over a long time. Just to see it from outside, I was extremely proud, and on top of that, a win."

"It's just unbelievable. 70 on at 10, and we said we're happy. And I know somebody said in the changing room that, yeah, 190 is on, and I said, no. If you look for 190 now, it is 140 all-out. And then just keep going at 8s and 9s and see what happens because over the time and even from the previous tours we've been to Sri Lanka, we understand the wicket starts to get slower and lower, and the moment you try and go too hard too early, I mean, the cluster of wickets fell. So we sent a message to Benny that he's doing a great job. It doesn't matter if he's trying and he's not hitting, he doesn't have to basically panic. As long as he's there, we'll get to a good total. I thought 175 is what we were looking for, but ended up maybe a few dots. But the way we came and the way we bowled, the way we started, the way we fielded every catch, some of the boundary stops, it's just unbelievable. I mean, there's nothing to fault the boys for. It looked like the boys wanted it, and I think they really did and they deserved to win today."

"So first of all, we've only got 13 able bodies in the squad and then I went down. Cremer has got a slight split webbing, but nothing serious. We even asked Dion Ebrahim to put the kit on in case we need him. But I think Zimbabwe cricket is looking into the replacements and things like that. I'm sure they'll be here for the next game because ideally in these conditions, you don't know what's going to happen, so you want 15 able bodies available for selection at every given time."

"I'll allow the boys to enjoy it and I think they deserve to enjoy it today. But for me and the coach, I think the homework for the next game starts. We've got a travelling day tomorrow, so that's about it. And then we've got another day off and we've got a game while we have a chance. But we don't need to change anything if we keep the same processes while we know where we stand. It's a great position to be at. But let's just take one game at a time, exactly what we said at the start. And we're going to take one game at a time and see where that takes us. Where we are is a great position, but it doesn't guarantee anything. So the next game becomes the most important game for Zimbabwe now."