Hetmyer’s Six-Hitting Storm Powers West Indies to Record-Breaking 254 Against Zimbabwe

Mumbai, Feb 2026 : Shimron Hetmyer produced one of the most destructive batting displays in T20 World Cup history, unleashing a breathtaking six-hitting blitzkrieg to propel the West Indies to a massive 254/6 against a helpless Zimbabwe in a Super 8 Group 1 clash of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup at the Wankhede Stadium on Monday.

Hetmyer smashed a sensational 85 off just 34 balls, raining boundaries to all parts of the ground, and shared a match-defining 122-run partnership for the third wicket with Rovman Powell (59). The onslaught left Zimbabwe completely outclassed and shell-shocked as West Indies registered the highest team total of the T20 World Cup 2026 and the second-highest score in the history of the tournament.

Asked to bat first, the West Indies signalled their intent early, but it was Hetmyer who turned the contest into a one-sided spectacle. The left-hander recorded the fastest fifty by a West Indies batter in T20 World Cup history, reaching the landmark in just 19 balls, striking four fours and five towering sixes. In the process, he bettered his own previous record, set earlier in the tournament.

Hetmyer had already announced his form in the opening match of the World Cup with a 22-ball half-century against Scotland at the Eden Gardens, eclipsing the long-standing mark of 23 balls held by Chris Gayle, achieved at The Oval in 2009. On Monday night in Mumbai, he went one step further, delivering a knock that will be remembered as one of the most fearsome in World Cup history.

Hetmyer walked in after the early dismissal of Brandon King, who fell to Richard Ngarava in the third over, with West Indies at 17/1. Initially watchful, Hetmyer added 37 runs with captain Shai Hope (14) before Hope departed to a stunning one-handed diving catch by Brian Bennett off Brad Evans.

The 29-year-old left-hander from Guyana started cautiously but soon shifted gears. He enjoyed two reprieves—both times dropped by Tashinga Musekiwa—and made Zimbabwe pay dearly. Once settled, Hetmyer unfurled a mesmerising range of strokes, using the cut, swivel pull, and inside-out lofted drives with brutal precision.

His first boundary came off Ngarava in the third over, followed by another off Blessing Muzarabani. On 10, he was dropped at long-leg, a moment that proved decisive. From there, Hetmyer launched an extraordinary assault—hammering Ngarava for back-to-back boundaries and then dismantling Graeme Cremer with two successive sixes in the seventh over.

The carnage intensified when he took on Zimbabwe captain Sikander Raza, smashing three sixes in four balls as West Indies surged to 92/2 in just eight overs. Hetmyer brought up his half-century in 19 balls, sending the Wankhede crowd into raptures.

Even after reaching his fifty, Hetmyer showed no signs of slowing down. He launched Raza for the biggest hit of the night—a monstrous 108-metre six over cow corner—and followed it with a crisp boundary. In total, he plundered 33 runs off Raza in just nine balls. Dropped again on 72, Hetmyer continued his relentless charge, making Zimbabwe’s bowlers look utterly bereft of answers.

At the other end, Powell complemented Hetmyer perfectly. Though slightly more measured, Powell was equally effective, reaching his fifty in 29 balls with four fours and three sixes. Together, the pair raced to a 122-run partnership off just 45 balls, the cornerstone of West Indies’ monumental total.

Just as a maiden T20 World Cup century beckoned, Hetmyer mistimed a swipe off Cremer and was caught by Bennett for a stunning 85 off 34 balls, an innings laced with seven fours and seven sixes. Powell followed soon after, caught by Musekiwa off Muzarabani for 59 off 35 balls.

The damage, however, had already been done. West Indies smashed 139 runs in the middle overs (7–15), the second-highest tally in that phase of a T20 World Cup match, behind only Sri Lanka’s 141/3 against Kenya in 2007.

Zimbabwe’s misery deepened when Raza was forced off the field after being struck while attempting to evade a fierce return hit from Powell. The West Indies then finished with a flourish, as Sherfane Rutherford blasted an unbeaten 31 off 13 balls, while Jason Holder struck two sixes in four balls in the final over.

The final total of 254/6 left Zimbabwe facing a near-impossible chase and firmly underlined West Indies’ credentials as serious title contenders.

Brief Scores:
West Indies 254/6 in 20 overs (Shimron Hetmyer 85, Rovman Powell 59, Sherfane Rutherford 31*; Blessing Muzarabani 2/42, Richard Ngarava 2/47) vs Zimbabwe