The historic SSC Ground in Colombo witnessed a clinical display of modern T20 cricket on February 09, 2026. Zimbabwe provided an 8-door advantage over Oman. In the 8th encounter ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 (Group B)The Chevrons communicated their intentions to the rest of the world by combining an exhibition of lethal fast bowling with a composed, calculated chase. Under the lights of the night session, Zimbabwe simply outclassed the Gulf nation and finished with 39 balls to spare.
Blessing Muzarabani’s fiery spell brings Oman to a modest conclusion
Zimbabwe’s pace was set in the opening minutes of the match. Blessed Muzarabanistarted the demolition work. Oman’s innings never found oxygen, gasping for air as Muzarabani produced bounce and seam movement from the Colombo surface. He struck early, taking out the skipper Jatinder Singh 5 for and followed it by dismissal Aamir Kaleem and Klowland Sonavalefinished with stellar figures of 3/16 in four overs.
The pressure of the opponent made it possible Richard Shipp (3/17) and Brad Evans (3/18) to tighten the lasso from the other end. Oman’s top order collapsed like a deck of cards, collapsing to a staggering 17/4 in the first four overs. while Sufyan Mehmood (25) and Vinayak Shukla (28) attempted a mid-range save to take the score past the century mark, the relentless precision of the Zimbabwean attack was too much to handle. Oman were eventually bundled out for 103 in 19.5 overs, looking woefully inadequate on a sporting Colombo track.
Also WATCH: Wasim Ali was caught unawares as Sikandar Raza slammed his plank in the clash between ZIM and OMA
Brian Bennett captains Zimbabwe to a decisive victory in the T20 World Cup 2026
Chasing a target of 104, Zimbabwe suffered a brief hiccup in the powerplay. Mehmood gave Oman a glimmer of hope by eliminating We found Marumani (21) and Dion Myers (0) in succession, leaving Zimbabwe on 30/2. But the young sensation Brian Bennett a quick upset extinguished their hopes. Showing maturity beyond his years, Bennett anchored the innings with 36 off 48 balls laced with six boundaries and a powerful six.
Bennett found an experienced ally in legend Brendan TaylorUnfortunately, a steady 31 contributors before retiring hurt when the finish line was in sight. Switch at 98/2 Sikandar Raza He went on to provide the finishing touches, hitting a quick 5* to seal the deal in just 13.3 overs. Zimbabwe’s aggressive approach saw them reach 106/2 and provided a huge boost to their Net Run Rate. Fueled by Muzarabani’s pace and polished by Bennett’s blade, this all-round performance cements Zimbabwe’s status as formidable contenders in this edition of the T20 World Cup.
A comprehensive win for Zimbabwe 🙌#ZIMvsOMN #T20WorldCup2026 pic.twitter.com/rfINL7hKp3
— CricketTimes.com (@CricketTimesHQ) February 9, 2026
Also WATCH: Blessing Muzarabani destroys Jatinder Singh’s stumps with a brilliant delivery in T20 World Cup 2026
