By McGeorge Mbare
ZIMBABWE has been the talk of the world after securing a Super 8 spot in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka on Tuesday , February 17, 2026.
Zimbabwe caused a major upset by beating Australia and Oman, securing their spot in the Super Eight stage of the tournament, courtesy of an abandoned match against Ireland.
The Chevrons earned a point, putting them three points clear of Australia in Group B with one round of matches to go and a maximum of two points up for grabs.
Speaking to Ziyah News Network, cricket commentator Dean Du Plessis highlighted that this win means a lot to the nation, but people need to celebrate the players and the coaching staff for doing a great job.
“This means a lot to Zimbabwean cricket fans, but it also means a lot to the players and the coaching staff. We often put much emphasis on what it means to Zimbabwe as a cricket nation and then we tend to exclude the players and the coaching staff, because we either focus on the disappointment of the fans or, in this case, the jubilation of the fans. As fans, we need to remember that it’s the players who always get the job done and the coaching staff who assist,” Dean Du Plessis said.
On sustainability and consistency for the remaining part of the tournament against India and South Africa, Dean Du Plessis said, “It’s up to the players to implement their best ability, and so far, they have done exactly that in both games. Against Oman, we saw how ruthless they are, especially the first three bowlers, Blessing Muzarabani, Richard Ngarava, and Brad Evans.”
Zimbabwe is currently ranked 11th in world cricket and will face top-ranked nations India and South Africa in their Super 8.
For the victory Blessing Muzarabani claimed a career-best 4-17 as Zimbabwe held their nerve to stun Australia with a brilliant 23-run win in the T20 World Cup on Friday.
Set the tricky target of 170, Australia had looked in big trouble at 29-4 before Matthew Renshaw and Glenn Maxwell’s 77-run stand for the fifth wicket.
Australia needed 34 runs off the final two overs, but when Renshaw was caught for 65 after he skied the superb Muzarabani with eight balls remaining the game was effectively up.