Zimbabwe beat Sri Lanka with a strong all-round performance, finished the group stage unbeaten, and advanced to the Super 8s.
Srilanka and Zimbabwe faced off in the ICC Men’s World Cup 2026 on Wednesday (February 18, 2026), at R.Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
Match Highlights
Earlier, Srilanka won the toss and chose to bat first.
Batting first, Sri Lanka’s Pathum Nissanka scored 62 runs (41 balls). He was the top scorer for Sri Lanka, delivering a solid half-century with timely boundaries that helped keep the innings moving.
Kusal Perera scored 22 runs (14 balls). He got off to a quick start at the top but was dismissed during the power play.
Pavan Rathnayake scored 44 runs (25 balls). He added valuable acceleration in the middle overs with his aggressive hitting.
Dunith Wellalage scored 15 runs (8 balls). He made a useful cameo late in the innings, helping to boost the total.
Sri Lanka scored 178 for 7 in their 20 overs.
Zimbabwe’s Graeme Cremer took 2 wickets for 27 runs in his 4 overs, including the key wicket of Pathum Nissanka, which was vital in halting Sri Lanka’s momentum.
Blessing Muzarabani took 2 wickets for 38 runs, removing key top-order batters. Brad Evans also picked up 2 wickets for 35 runs, helping stop Sri Lanka from building big partnerships in the middle overs.
Chasing 179 runs, Zimbabwe’s Brian Bennett was the key player, finishing with 63 not out off 48 balls and leading the chase with excellent timing and composed batting.
Sikandar Raza provided solid support, scoring 45 off 26 balls, which helped maintain the necessary run rate.
Zimbabwe displayed a well-rounded and assured batting performance.
Zimbabwe managed to successfully chase Sri Lanka’s total of 178, finishing at 182/4 in 19.3 overs.
Dushan Hemantha was Sri Lanka’s top bowler with 2 wickets for 36 runs in 4 overs, but the rest of the bowling attack struggled, allowing Zimbabwe to comfortably chase 179.
Player Of The Match
Sikandar Raza
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