Zimbabwe Cruise Past Oman with Dominant Eight-Wicket Win in T20 World Cup 2026 Opener

Colombo, Feb 2026 : Zimbabwe launched their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 campaign in commanding fashion on Monday, registering a comprehensive eight-wicket victory over Oman at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) Ground in Colombo. Chasing a modest target of 103, Zimbabwe wrapped up the contest in just 13.3 overs, underlining their intent early in Group-stage action.

After opting to bowl first, Zimbabwe’s pace attack laid the foundation for the win with a disciplined and incisive performance. The fast-bowling trio of Blessing Muzarabani, Richard Ngarava and Brad Evans exploited the conditions effectively, sharing nine wickets between them to bundle Oman out for 103 in 19.5 overs.

Oman’s innings got off to a shaky start as skipper Jatinder Singh was bowled by Muzarabani for five in the second over, undone by a probing good-length delivery. The early breakthrough set the tone, and Oman soon found themselves under sustained pressure. In the very next over, Richard Ngarava struck, removing experienced batter Hammad Mirza, further denting Oman’s hopes of building a stable platform.

Muzarabani returned to inflict more damage, dismissing Aamir Kaleem and Karan Sonavale in the same over. With wickets falling regularly and the scoring rate stalling, Oman slid towards an early collapse. At that stage, wicketkeeper-batter Vinayak Shukla and all-rounder Sufyan Mehmood offered some resistance, stitching together a 42-run partnership — the highest of Oman’s innings.

Shukla played with composure to top-score with 28 runs, while Mehmood added a useful 25, helping Oman cross the 100-run mark and avoid complete embarrassment. However, once the partnership was broken, the tail failed to contribute meaningfully. Ngarava and Evans cleaned up the remaining wickets as Oman were dismissed just one ball short of completing their 20 overs. Muzarabani finished with figures of 3 for 16, while Ngarava and Evans returned with 3 for 17 and 3 for 18 respectively.

In reply, Zimbabwe approached the chase with confidence and clarity. Openers Tadiwanashe Marumani and Dion Myers got off to a brisk start, striking the ball fluently and racing to over 30 runs inside the first three overs. The early momentum all but extinguished any slim hopes Oman might have harboured of defending their total.

Oman finally tasted success in the fourth over when Sufyan Mehmood dismissed Marumani, who had looked in excellent touch during his 21 off 11 balls, an innings laced with five boundaries. Mehmood struck again in the same over, sending Myers back for a duck and briefly injecting some life into the contest.

However, Zimbabwe’s experienced campaigner Brendan Taylor then took charge alongside opener Brian Bennett. The pair adopted a calm and measured approach, focusing on strike rotation rather than boundaries in the initial phase of their partnership. Singles and doubles flowed freely, steadily building pressure on the Omani bowlers.

Bennett anchored the innings superbly and was unfortunate to miss out on a half-century, finishing unbeaten on 48. His knock featured seven well-timed fours and showcased maturity beyond his years. Taylor complemented him with a fluent 31 off 30 balls, including three boundaries, before retiring hurt at the end of the 13th over.

With victory well within reach, skipper Sikandar Raza walked in and wasted no time, striking the winning runs to seal the chase in 13.3 overs. Zimbabwe finished on 106 for 2, completing a dominant all-round performance.

For Oman, Sufyan Mehmood was the lone bright spot with the ball, picking up two wickets and conceding just 12 runs in his three overs. Nevertheless, the gulf in quality between the two sides was evident.

The emphatic win not only gives Zimbabwe a confidence-boosting start to their T20 World Cup 2026 journey but also sends a strong message to other teams in the group about their depth in both bowling and batting.

Team Maverick.