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T20 World Cup 2026 Zimbabwe vs Ireland: The first upset of the T20 World Cup 2026 happened with Australia’s defeat at the hands of Zimbabwe. Now this reversal seems to be taking a heavy toll on the Kangaroos. Australia has lost for the second time in Group B. After Zimbabwe, it is in danger of being out of the tournament after its crushing defeat against Sri Lanka.
zimbabwe cricket team
Pallekkala: Zimbabwe has a golden opportunity to reach the Super-8 of the T20 World Cup 2026. Zimbabwe surprised former champions Australia by 23 runs in Colombo on Friday. Now co-host Sri Lanka has made all the arrangements to oust the Kangaroos from the tournament by defeating them on Monday night. If Zimbabwe somehow beats Ireland today, they will reach the Super-8 and with this Australia will be out of the World Cup.
On the eve of the match against Ireland, Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza said that the upset win over Australia will mean nothing if his team misses the next match of the T20 World Cup. Raza said in the pre-match press conference:
We know that winning over Australia is just one part of our journey, but every next match is the most important. If we slip now then the previous victory will mean nothing. All the players are completely focused on the target. Yesterday was the travel day, after that we got rest and today we practiced well. For me, tomorrow’s match is another match. Perhaps this is the most important match.
After the match against Ireland, Zimbabwe will face hosts Sri Lanka in the last match of the group stage on 19 February. The team is in a good position in the points table with four points in the first two matches. Raza admitted that with the possibility of making it to the Super Eights, there would be a different kind of pressure in the upcoming matches. He said:
This is a good situation. After two wins, the world is talking about Zimbabwe, but we have to focus on our game. The beauty of ICC tournaments is that every match feels like a knockout. The real challenge is to manage our own expectations more than the expectations of the world.
Raza said that good performance in ICC competitions can change the lives of players. He said, ‘Performing well against the top teams in the world brings recognition, respect, financial benefits, it changes lives in every way. If we do well, it will be a historic achievement and we would like to keep writing our story further.
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Anshul Talmale is captaining the sports desk of Network18 Group from February 2025, wearing the jersey of Deputy News Editor. His unbeaten innings continues for the last decade with a tremendous strike rate. With his all-round ability…read more