In a pulsating match in Group B of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 at R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, on 19 February 2026 Zimbabwe held their nerves to beat Sri Lanka by six wickets in an exhilarating chase to finish group unbeaten.
Opting to bat first, the hosts set a target of 178/7 in 20 overs. Sri Lankan innings were anchored by a fighting knock of 62 from Pathum Nissanka and a crucial 44 from Pavan Rathnayake, hoping to put a defense on the board in a batting friendly wicket.
Zimbabwe started their reply positively and soon gained batting confidence. Brisk footwork and timely hitting – notably a composed 63 from Brian Bennett* and an exuberant 45 from captain Sikandar Raza (in the middle of his best form in a Zimbabwe shirt) – sprinted the home side towards their target. They took 19.3 overs to reach 182/4 and crushed one of their highest successful T20I chases in the process, a six wicket win with three balls to spare.
Zimbabwe beat Sri Lanka easily, with a mixture of both resilience and strategy marshalled on the course of an effective effort in pacing their innings.
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Unbeaten Group B Campaign Continues
With this triumphant end of the Group B stage, Zimbabwe remained undefeated — three wins and a no-result: rain washed out their Ireland encounter in Ireland’s part of the phase. Zimbabwe finished first with 7 points while Sri Lanka finished second with 6.
Its undefeated run featured a pair of signature wins over Australia and Oman, and became one of the few feel-good stories in the group stage. Their bowlers delivered at crucial stages, and the batting line-up showed both depth and temperament when they were up against it in run-chases.
What This Win Means
For Zimbabwe it is as much a psychological boost as a historic milestone – the win can give them real impetus going into the Super Eights. Zimbabwe beat Sri Lanka through a performance that combined calculated aggression with game-smart management.
And as fans emerge from the group stages, there is an undefeated team everyone should be taking notice of: Zimbabwe.