The Zimbabwe vs Ireland washout has sent Australia crashing out of the T20 World Cup
Zimbabwe defeated Australia earlier by 23 runs to jolt their qualification chances
Sikandar Raza is focused on the challenge that lies ahead rather than celebrating the qualification
The match 32 of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 between Zimbabwe and Ireland at the Pallekele International Stadium was washed out, taking Sikandar Raza and his team into the next round, and knocking out cricketing giant Australia from the competition.
Australia copped a thumping 8-wicket defeat by co-host Sri Lanka last night, leaving their fate in the hands of others. They were hoping Zimbabwe would lose to Ireland and Sri Lanka, which could give them a chance to sneak into the next round, but the no result awarded one point to Zimbabwe, taking them into the Super 8.
Sikandar Raza Sets His Eyes On Next Game
Zimbabwe failed to qualify for last year's T20 World Cup held in the USA and West Indies, but this time they made sure that they not only qualified for the tournament but also made a mark in the tournament, which they did by demolishing giants like Australia and making it to the Super 8 by crashing them out.
Sikandar Raza acknowledged the achievement but at the same time also pressed on the fact that the work is not done yet and has already set his eyes on the next target.
Speaking after the match, Raza said, "As much as we have achieved, it is just a tick in the box and not the whole box. There will be a small celebration, but we will then focus on the next game. It is just a small tick in what we have set out to achieve. Myself and the coach, we will sit down, we have the data on them (Sri Lanka) and we will try to win that game. Qualifying has not changed our ultimate goal."
Raza also emphasized that their team will ready to adapt every condition they encounter in the Super 8. "Everyone loves an underdog story. Every condition we find ourselves in, if we get a day or two to train, we try and learn those conditions. We train, try and assess the conditions, see the previous games (at that venue), and try to put together a good game of cricket," said Raza on the challenges that lies ahead.
Irish Captain On World Cup Ouster
Ireland stand-by captain Lorcan Tucker expressed disappointment on going out of the tournament via a washout but expressed his gratitude for the experience their side gained from the participation.
(nothing we can do about the weather?) Yeah, something we're quite familiar with as Irish people, I think. Obviously very disappointed to go out in this fashion, but completely uncontrollable and, yeah, just was what to expect today. (a reflection on the tournament?) Potentially, I think we felt like we were building some momentum after the Oman game. Unfortunately, it seems that the momentum came too late. I think when we look back, there were big moments in the tournament, especially in that first game against Sri Lanka, where we maybe didn't get quite right. But I think looking back on that, just wasn't ready to be, felt like we might have started a bit slower than we wanted to, but I think just the way that the tournament fell for us. (what's next when you keep playing at higher level opposition) Yeah, I think our group gained great experience in this tournament. I think a lot of them, it's their first World Cup. It gets really competitive, I think it shows the pressure the elite cricketers are under. I think those big moments, understanding how to deal with them, how to process them. I think we're hoping to have some big moments in the next couple of years and hopefully prepare us for the next cycle."
