The Wankhede Stadium witnessed a historic moment on Monday 23rd February. Zimbabweyoung prodigy Brian Bennett he was finally released from his post for the first time T20 World Cup 2026.
Heading into the Super 8 clash against the West Indies on a stunning unbeaten run, Bennett’s luck has been fueled by world-class left-arm spin. Akeal Hosein. Chasing a monumental target of 255, the Zimbabwe opener cleaned up with a delivery that has already been labeled the ‘ball of the tournament’. The dismissal not only ended a remarkable individual run but also signaled the start of a disastrous Powerplay for Zimbabwe, who lost themselves under scoreboard pressure from a record-breaking West Indies total.
Akeal Hosein’s ‘ripper’ ends Brian Bennett’s record unbeaten run at T20 World Cup 2026
The dismissal came in the first ball of the third ball, which was delivered at 85.4 kmph. Akeal Hosein produced a classic ‘ripper’ that drifted towards leg stump, dipped sharply to deceive the batter in flight and then caught the surface to spin with venom. Bennet, who tried to maintain his aggressive intent by swinging the line, was completely defeated by a lateral move. The ball went wide of the outside edge and crashed into the top of the stumps, leaving the Wankhede crowd in awe. Until this delivery, Bennett had amassed 175 runs in the competition and without losing a single wicket this ‘Timber!’ It is one of the most important moments of the Super 8 stage.
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Wankhede Massacre vs Zimbabwe: West Indies giant post 254/6
Bennett’s door could be the final nail in the coffin for a pursuit already deemed “impossible”. In the evening, West Indies produced a record-breaking batting performance of 254/6, the highest total of this World Cup and the second highest in T20 World Cup history. He led the massacre Shimron Hetmyerhe hit 85 off just 34 balls, including seven massive sixes. Hetmyer completed his half-century off just 19 balls, setting a new record for the fastest fifty by a West Indian in the history of the tournament. He was ably supported by the former captain Rovman PowellThe pair hit 59 off 35 as they shared a demoralized stand of 122 that completely bowled the Zimbabwean bowlers.
Powerplay collapse: Zimbabwe’s top order fails against Hosein
The fallout from Bennett’s dismissal was immediate and devastating as Hosein completed a sensational double by dismissing his maiden. Ryan Burl for a duck after just three balls. with Matthew Forde having already claimed the wicket We found MarumaniZimbabwe collapsed to 20/3 in just five deliveries. This result has great implications for the Team Indiaas West Indies’ dominant NRR surge puts huge pressure on the defending champions to convincingly win their upcoming matches against Zimbabwe and Windies. As the Powerplay ends with Zimbabwe at 47/3, the task lies ahead Sikandar Raza‘s men became a matter of survival rather than victory.
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