T20 World Cup: Zimbabwe stuns Australia, wins by 23 runs

In one of the biggest upsets of the ICC Twenty20 World Cup, Zimbabwe stunned Australia by 23 runs in Colombo on Friday (February 13, 2026). Man-of-the-Match Blessing Muzarabani’s four for 17 proved decisive as the mighty Australians fell short.

The win takes Zimbabwe to second place in Group B, having won both their games so far. Australia is behind in third while Sri Lanka currently leads the table.

Chasing a target of 170, Australia lost wickets at regular intervals to lose steam against Zimbabwe. Australian openers Josh Inglis (8) and stand-in captain Travis Head (17) had scored 13 runs in 1.1 overs when pacer Blessing Muzarabani struck a telling blow by removing Inglis.

Zimbabwe bowlers also removed Cameron Green and Tim David for ducks, with the Australian score at 25. Staring down the barrel, Australia then lost Head with the score at 29. Muzarabani and Brad Evans had taken two wickets each by then.

All Australia missed was a Glenn Maxwell special. Maxwell was off-colour as he scored a nearly run-a-ball 31 off 32 deliveries.

Renshaw’s effort in vain

Maxwell and Matt Renshaw (65) added 76 runs for the fifth wicket. But after Maxwell departed, Stoinis (6) and Dwarshuis (6) could not give able support to Renshaw.

Despite Renshaw’s valiant 65 off 44 balls, Australia’s tail end came a cropper and the team lost yet again to Zimbabwe, having lost even their last encounter at the 2007 T20 World Cup.

Blessing Muzarabani took 4 for 17 in his four overs while Brad Evans took 3 for 23.

Strong opening stand for ZImbabwe

Earlier, after put into bat, Zimbabwe openers Brian Bennett and Tadiwanashe Marumani scored rapidly to push Australian bowlers on the backfoot.

The openers added 61 in just 7.1 overs when Marumani (35) was dismissed by Stoinis. Then Bennet and Ryan Burl (35) stitched a 70-run partnership for the second wicket when Cameron Green (bowling in place of Stoinis) dismissed Burl. Bennett went to complete his half-century.

Ryan Burl and Brian Bennett 70-run partnership is Zimbabwe’s highest for the second wicket in T20 World Cup, breaking the record of 62 between Masakadza and Taylor.

After the dismissal of Burl, Bennett (64) and Sikandar Raza (25) consolidated the Zimbabwe innings towards the end of the innings, added 38 runs and took the score past 160-mark to challenge the might of Australian batting.

Scoreboard

Zimbabwe innings: Brian Bennett not out 64 Tadiwanashe Marumani c Inglis b Stoinis 35 Ryan Burl c sub (Xavier Bartlett) b Green 35 Sikandar Raza not out 25 Extras: (LB-3, W-7) 10

Total: (For 2 wickets in 20 overs) 169

Fall of wickets: 1-61, 2-131

Australia bowling: Ben Dwarshuis 4-0-40-0, Marcus Stoinis 2.5-0-17-1, Glenn Maxwell 1-0-14-0, Matthew Kuhnemann 3-0-24-0, Nathan Ellis 4-0-34-0, Adam Zampa 4-0-31-0, Cameron Green 1.1-0-6-1.

Australia innings: Josh Inglis c Musekiwa b Muzarabani 8 Travis Head b Evans 17 Cameron Green c Marumani b Evans 0 Tim David c Cremer b Muzarabani 0 Glenn Maxwell b Burl 31 Matt Renshaw c Burl b Muzarabani 65 Marcus Stoinis c Musekiwa b Masakadza 6 Ben Dwarshuis c Munyonga b Evans 6 Nathan Ellis not out 7 Adam Zampa b Muzarabani 2 Matthew Kuhnemann run out (Evans) 0 Extras: (LB-2, W-2) 4

Total: (All out in 19.3 overs) 146

Fall of wickets: 1-13, 2-24, 3-25, 4-29, 5-106, 6-117, 7-131, 8-139, 9-141, 10-146.

Zimbabwe bowling: Sikandar Raza 2-0-17-0, Blessing Muzarabani 4-0-17-4, Brad Evans 3.3-0-23-3, Dion Myers 1-0-9-0, Graeme Cremer 4-0-33-0, Wellington Masakadza 4-0-36-1, Ryan Burl 1-0-9-1.

Mitchell Marsh misses second World Cup game

Captain Mitchell Marsh was again missing for Australia in their second game at the T20 World Cup, against Zimbabwe in Colombo on Friday (February 13, 2026), after suffering internal testicular bleeding.

Marsh is still recovering after being struck in the groin during training, with Travis Head leading the former champions at R. Premadasa Stadium.

Marsh also missed the win over Ireland on Wednesday (February 11, 2026) and Steve Smith was called up as cover.

“Steve Smith hasn’t reached Colombo yet but hopefully the skipper is fit soon,” Head said at the toss, which he won and chose to bowl against Zimbabwe.

Teams:

Australia: Travis Head (c), Josh Inglis (wk), Cameron Green, Matt Renshaw, Glenn Maxwell, Tim David, Marcus Stoinis, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa, Matthew Kuhnemann.

Zimbabwe: Sikandar Raza (c), Brian Bennett, Tadiwanashe Marumani (wk), Dion Myers, Ryan Burl, Tony Munyonga, Tashinga Musekiwa, Brad Evans, Wellington Masakadza, Graeme Cremer, Blessing Muzarabani.