Zimbabwe underlined their growing stature in T20 cricket with a composed six-wicket win over Sri Lanka at the R. Premadasa Stadium, sealing their place in the Super Eight without a defeat.
Sri Lanka’s 178 for 7 looked competitive on a sluggish surface. Pathum Nissanka continued his rich vein of form with 62, helping the hosts race to 54 without loss inside five overs. But once Blessing Muzarabani removed Kusal Perera, Zimbabwe’s bowlers tightened their grip. Graeme Cremer mixed guile and control to return 2 for 27, while Brad Evans struck twice as Sri Lanka’s middle overs lost momentum. A late flourish from Pavan Rathnayake lifted the total, but it felt slightly under par.
Zimbabwe’s chase began cautiously, the pitch offering little pace. Brian Bennett anchored the innings superbly, reading conditions better than anyone. While he accumulated steadily, others counterpunched. Ryan Burl’s brisk 23 kept the equation manageable before falling to a short ball.
With the asking rate climbing beyond 11 an over, the game tilted on the brilliance of Sikandar Raza. After a slow start, Raza exploded with a sequence of clean, straight sixes that stunned the home crowd and swung momentum decisively Zimbabwe’s way. His 45 off 26 balls broke Sri Lanka’s resistance.
Even after Raza’s late dismissal, Zimbabwe held their nerve. Tony Munyonga struck a vital six in the final over before Bennett calmly completed the chase with four balls to spare.
Two wins may have once seemed surprising. Now, Zimbabwe look like genuine contenders.