Zimbabwe Shock Sri Lanka by 6 Wickets, Enter Super 8 Unbeaten
Zimbabwe defeated Sri Lanka by 6 wickets in a Group B clash to top the table and enter the Super 8 stage unbeaten in the T20 World Cup.
Prasanth Subramani
Zimbabwe stunned Sri Lanka with a 6-wicket victory in a Group B match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, finishing the league stage unbeaten and qualifying for the Super 8.
The match was played in Colombo on Thursday, with both teams having earlier defeated strong side Australia. It was a crucial game to decide the Group B toppers.
Sri Lanka won the toss and opted to bat first. Openers Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Perera provided a solid start, adding 54 runs for the first wicket. Perera scored 22 before getting out, while Kusal Mendis made 14.
Nissanka Shines with 62
Pathum Nissanka played a brilliant innings, scoring 62 runs off 41 balls with eight boundaries. He was well supported by Bhanuka Rajapaksa, who scored 44 runs off 25 balls with two sixes and three fours. Sri Lanka eventually posted 178/7 in 20 overs. For Zimbabwe, Blessing Muzarabani, Brad Evans, and Graham Hume picked up two wickets each.
Zimbabwe Chase Down Target Comfortably
Chasing 179, Zimbabwe got off to a strong start through Brian Bennett and Tadiwanashe Marumani. Marumani scored 34, while Ryan Burl added 23. Captain Sikandar Raza played a match-winning knock of 45 runs off 26 balls, including four sixes.
Opener Brian Bennett remained unbeaten on 63 off 48 balls, guiding Zimbabwe home. With 8 runs needed in the final over, Raza hit a six, followed by a boundary from Bennett to seal the victory.
Zimbabwe reached 182/4 in 19.3 overs, winning by 6 wickets. For Sri Lanka, Dushan Hemantha took two wickets.
Captain Sikandar Raza was named Player of the Match. Zimbabwe finished top of Group B with three wins and one washed-out match and will face West Indies in Mumbai in the Super 8, while Sri Lanka will take on England in Kandy.
