Zimbabwe enters the Super 8 stage of the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup as the tournament’s biggest surprise package. The Chevrons topped Group B with an unbeaten record, winning three out of four matches. Their fourth game against Ireland was washed out by rain.
Nobody predicted this. Zimbabwe failed to qualify for the 2024 T20 World Cup after losing to Uganda in the Africa qualifier. Two years later, they sit among the last eight teams in the world. They beat Australia by 23 runs in Colombo and chased down 179 against co-hosts Sri Lanka with three balls to spare.
Under captain Sikandar Raza, this Zimbabwe side plays fearless cricket. The group stage run confirmed that these Chevrons are not just participants. They are genuine contenders.
Zimbabwe now faces India, West Indies, and South Africa in Group 1 of the Super 8s. All three matches take place in India. The road ahead is tough, but this team has already shown it can beat anyone on the day.
Zimbabwe’s Strongest XI At A Glance
Here is the strongest playing 11 that Zimbabwe can field:
| Position | Player | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brian Bennett | Opener / All-rounder |
| 2 | Tadiwanashe Marumani | Opener / Wicketkeeper |
| 3 | Ryan Burl | No. 3 Batter (Middle Order) |
| 4 | Sikandar Raza (C) | No. 4 Batter / Spin All-rounder |
| 5 | Dion Myers | Middle-order Batter |
| 6 | Tony Munyonga | Power Hitter |
| 7 | Tashinga Musekiwa | Lower-order Batter |
| 8 | Bradley Evans | Pace All-rounder |
| 9 | Wellington Masakadza | Spin All-rounder |
| 10 | Graeme Cremer | Leg Spinner |
| 11 | Blessing Muzarabani | Pace Spearhead |
This XI gives Zimbabwe balance in every department. It has aggressive openers, a reliable middle order, finishing power, and a bowling attack that mixes pace with spin. The group stage results prove this combination works under pressure.
Zimbabwe Full Squad For T20 World Cup 2026
Sikandar Raza (C), Brian Bennett, Ryan Burl, Graeme Cremer, Ben Curran, Bradley Evans, Clive Madande, Tinotenda Maposa, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Wellington Masakadza, Tony Munyonga, Tashinga Musekiwa, Blessing Muzarabani, Dion Myers, Richard Ngarava.
Super 8: The Road Ahead
Zimbabwe sits in Group 1 for the Super 8 stage. This group brings together some of the world’s strongest T20 teams.
Zimbabwe’s Super 8 Group 1 Opponents
- India (Defending Champions and Co-hosts)
- South Africa (2024 Runners-up)
- West Indies (Two-time Champions)
Zimbabwe’s Super 8 Schedule
All of Zimbabwe’s Super 8 matches take place in India:
| Date | Opponent | Venue | Time (IST) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 23 (Sun) | West Indies | Mumbai (Wankhede Stadium) | 7:00 PM |
| Feb 26 (Thu) | India | Chennai (M.A. Chidambaram Stadium) | 7:00 PM |
| Mar 1 (Sun) | South Africa | Delhi (Arun Jaitley Stadium) | 7:00 PM |
Here is a detailed breakdown of each player in Zimbabwe’s strongest playing XI.
1. Brian Bennett (Opener / All-rounder)
Brian Bennett is the heartbeat of this Zimbabwe batting lineup. The 22-year-old right-hander from Harare has set the T20 World Cup 2026 on fire with three consecutive unbeaten half-centuries. He scored 48* against Oman, 64* against Australia, and 63* against Sri Lanka.
Bennett now holds the world record for most runs scored in consecutive not-out innings in T20 World Cup history. He passed 175 runs without losing his wicket even once. He overtook Jos Buttler and Virat Kohli to claim that record.
What makes Bennett special is his composure. He anchors the innings when his team needs stability and shifts gears when the situation demands it. He plays all around the ground and uses his fours smartly. In this tournament, he has hit 24 boundaries without a single six, relying on pure timing and placement.
Bennett already sits fourth on Zimbabwe’s all-time T20I run-scorers list. In 55 T20Is, he has scored 1,771 runs at an average of 35.42 with a strike rate above 143. For a 22-year-old, those numbers are exceptional.
2. Tadiwanashe Marumani (Opener / Wicketkeeper)
Tadiwanashe Marumani opens the batting alongside Bennett and keeps wicket for Zimbabwe. He gives the team a left-right combination at the top, which troubles opposition bowlers.
Marumani plays an aggressive style in the powerplay. Against Sri Lanka, he hit 34 off 26 balls and put on an opening stand of 69 with Bennett in just 8.3 overs. That partnership set the tone for Zimbabwe’s successful chase of 179.
He keeps things simple. He targets the bowlers who offer width, rotates the strike, and lets Bennett play the anchor role. His dual role as opener and keeper also frees up a spot in the lineup for an extra bowler or all-rounder.
3. Ryan Burl (No. 3 Batter)
Ryan Burl bats at number three and plays a key role in the middle order. He is a left-handed batter who can also bowl useful leg-spin when the conditions allow.
Burl put on a 70-run partnership with Bennett against Australia, which remains the highest second-wicket stand for Zimbabwe in T20 World Cup history. He also broke the record for most catches by a fielder in T20Is for Zimbabwe during this tournament, passing Sikandar Raza’s tally of 53.
His ability to rotate the strike in the middle overs and attack the spinners gives Zimbabwe flexibility in the batting order. Burl has seen many highs and lows with this team. His experience steadies the innings when early wickets fall.
4. Sikandar Raza (Captain / Spin All-rounder)
Sikandar Raza is the captain, the leader, and the emotional engine of this Zimbabwe team. At 39, he became the oldest captain to win a Player of the Match award in T20 World Cup history when he smashed 45 off 26 balls against Sri Lanka.
Raza bats at number four and can change the course of a match in a few overs. Against Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe needed 45 runs off 30 balls. He walked in and flipped the game on its head. He hit two sixes and a four in a single over, plundering 20 runs off it.
He also bowls off-spin and contributes in the middle overs with the ball. But his biggest strength is leadership. He has turned this Zimbabwe squad into a tight-knit unit that believes it belongs at the top table. He backed every player with clear roles, and that trust has paid off.
Raza is the first player from Zimbabwe to score a T20I century. He was born in Sialkot, Pakistan, and moved to Zimbabwe as a teenager. His story of perseverance mirrors the journey of this entire team.
5. Dion Myers (Middle-order Batter)
Dion Myers slots in at number five and adds stability to the middle order. He is a right-handed batter who plays smart cricket and picks his moments to attack.
Myers played against Sri Lanka in Zimbabwe’s final group stage match and contributed to the chase alongside Raza. His role is to hold the innings together when wickets fall in clusters and then accelerate once he gets set.
He is a low-profile player who does the unglamorous work that every successful team needs. His calm presence in the middle order lets the big hitters like Raza and Munyonga play their natural game.
6. Tony Munyonga (Power Hitter)
Tony Munyonga provides Zimbabwe with explosive power in the lower middle order. He is the kind of player who can change a match in a single over.
Against Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe needed 8 runs off the last over. Munyonga smashed the first ball for a six, breaking the back of the chase immediately. He also took a stunning catch in the field against Australia to dismiss Ben Dwarshuis, which highlighted his all-round contribution.
Munyonga’s ability to hit big from the first ball he faces makes him a threat in pressure situations. In a knockout tournament, having a player who can close out games under pressure is invaluable.
7. Tashinga Musekiwa (Lower-order Batter)
Tashinga Musekiwa adds depth to Zimbabwe’s batting at number seven. He gives the team another left-handed option in the lower order and can score quick runs at the death.
His presence means Zimbabwe’s batting does not tail off after the top five. He can rotate the strike against spin and attack pace bowlers in the last five overs. His role is to support the finishers and provide a safety net if the top order struggles.
8. Bradley Evans (Pace All-rounder)
Bradley Evans is one of Zimbabwe’s standout performers in the campaign. He bowls pace at the death and can hit useful runs with the bat. Raza described him as a “great addition” whose performances were hard to put into words.
Evans picked up 8 wickets in the group stage, making him one of the top ten wicket-takers in the entire tournament. Against Sri Lanka, he claimed two wickets off two balls in the 19th over to limit their scoring at the death.
He is the perfect third seamer for Zimbabwe. He supports Muzarabani and Ngarava (when selected) with smart variations and a competitive pace. Evans also contributes with the bat in the lower order, giving Zimbabwe extra depth.
9. Wellington Masakadza (Spin All-rounder)
Wellington Masakadza handles the spin duties alongside Cremer and Raza. He bowls left-arm spin and provides a different angle of attack that unsettles right-handed batters.
His brother, Hamilton Masakadza, captained Zimbabwe and played 71 Tests. Wellington carries that family legacy with him. He knows what it means to wear the Zimbabwe shirt on the big stage.
Masakadza’s role is to control the middle overs and build pressure. He rarely gives away easy runs and forces batters into making mistakes. On Indian pitches that offer turn, he could play a decisive role in the Super 8 matches.
10. Graeme Cremer (Leg Spinner)
Graeme Cremer’s comeback story is one of the highlights of this tournament. The former Zimbabwe captain returned to international cricket after a seven-year absence. He was 39 when he got the call-up for the T20 World Cup 2026.
Cremer stepped away from the game in 2018 when his wife, Merna, got a job as a Boeing 777 pilot for Emirates. The family moved to Dubai. He thought his cricket career was over. But when his old friend Brendan Taylor called him and suggested he play again, Cremer felt the pull.
He returned to domestic cricket in Zimbabwe and dominated the National Premier League. He took 40 wickets at an average of 9.33 and an economy rate of 3.77 across 12 matches. That form earned him a spot in the World Cup squad.
Against Sri Lanka, Cremer bowled a disciplined spell of 2 for 27 in four overs. He dismissed Kamindu Mendis and the dangerous Pathum Nissanka, both key wickets that turned the game in Zimbabwe’s favor. His control and guile give Zimbabwe a genuine match-winning spinner.
11. Blessing Muzarabani (Pace Spearhead)
Blessing Muzarabani is Zimbabwe’s trump card. The towering fast bowler stands over two metres tall and generates bounce that troubles every batting lineup in world cricket.
Muzarabani took 9 wickets in three group stage matches, making him one of the top three wicket-takers in the tournament. His career-best T20 World Cup figures of 4 for 17 came against Australia, where he tore through their top order in the powerplay. He also reached the landmark of 100 T20I wickets during that match.
He grew up in the Highfields area of Harare. His grandmother raised him. His journey from humble beginnings to the top of the T20 World Cup bowling charts is a story of grit and raw talent. He signed a Kolpak deal with Northamptonshire in 2018 but returned to Zimbabwe cricket after Brexit ended those contracts in 2020.
Muzarabani swings the new ball in the powerplay and bowls sharp bouncers at the death. His economy rate since 2024 among pace bowlers with a minimum of 50 overs is in the top three worldwide. He is the first name on the team sheet and the last bowler any opposition wants to face.
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Final Word: Zimbabwe Enters The Super 8 As The Team Nobody Wants to Face
Zimbabwe has all the ingredients to cause more damage in the Super 8. They have a fearless opener in Bennett, a match-winning captain in Raza, a world-class pace spearhead in Muzarabani, and a spin attack led by the experience of Cremer.
The squad also has strong bench strength. Richard Ngarava gives them another pace option. Ben Curran adds batting depth. Clive Madande offers a keeping alternative. Tinotenda Maposa and other reserves give the selectors flexibility based on conditions.
This is a team that thrives when written off. They missed the 2024 World Cup entirely. They came to Sri Lanka as underdogs and left as the unbeaten Group B toppers. They beat Australia for the first time in a T20 World Cup. They chased down 179 against the co-hosts.
If this XI plays as a unit, Zimbabwe will be very difficult to stop. India, West Indies, and South Africa will all need their best cricket to beat the Chevrons. History awaits this team, and they look ready to seize it.
