Zimbabwe shock Australia by 23 runs:Sachin Tendulkar says ‘blessing’ in the truest sense

Zimbabwe stunned Australia by 23 runs in the T20 World Cup 2026 on Friday, 13 February. Batting first, Zimbabwe scored 169/2 and Australia were bowled out for 146 runs in 19.3 overs. This is a monumental victory for Zimbabwe, who now have two wins in two matches so far in the tournament. Zimbabwe had earlier defeated Australia in the 2007 T20 World Cup. With this result, Zimbabwe remained undefeated against Australia in T20 World Cups. Australia, meanwhile, suffered their first loss after beating Ireland in their campaign opener. Brian Bennett guides Zimbabwe to 169/2 Zimbabwe posted a strong total of 169 for 2 in their 20 overs after being asked to bat first. Brian Bennett starred with an unbeaten 60 off 56 deliveries, guiding his team to a competitive score. Tadiwanashe Marumani (35), Ryan Burl (35), and captain Sikandar Raza (25) played important supporting roles, helping build a solid foundation in the first innings. For Australia, Marcus Stoinis and Cameron Green picked up one wicket each. Also read: ‘Abhishek Sharma is just a slogger’, says Mohammad Amir: Pakistani pacer claims Indian opener is not ‘technically sound’ Blessing Muzarabani leads historic bowling effort Zimbabwe produced a sensational performance with the ball in hand and Blessing Muzarabani was the star of the show for the African nation. The tall pacer scalped four wickets while conceding just 17 runs in his four overs to restrict Australia. Matt Renshaw scored 65 off 44 but it was not enough for Australia. Muzarabani also reached the milestone of 100 T20I wickets and there could not have been a better occasion for him to get to this mark. Brad Evans was also superb, picking up three wickets for 23 runs in 3.3 overs. Zimbabwe’s fielding was also superb alongside their bowling effort. Earlier in the innings, Tashinga Musekiwa took a wonderful catch to dismiss Josh Inglis. However, one of the biggest highlights of the second innings was Tony Munyonga’s sensational catch to dismiss Ben Dwarshuis in the closing stages of the match. This can be a contender for the catch of the tournament. Australia’s qualification scenario Australia, with this shock defeat, are third in the Group B points table with two points from two matches. The 2021 champions cannot afford any slip-ups and need to win both their games in a bid to secure qualification for the Super 8 stage. Sri Lanka are top of the pile with two wins in two matches. Zimbabwe also have the same number of points but are behind the 2014 champions on Net Run Rate (NRR). Here’s how the cricket fraternity reacted The cricket fraternity was left in awe as Zimbabwe stunned Australia in the tournament. Sachin Tendulkar, who has been following the T20 World Cup keenly, said that this was a ‘statement win from Zimbabwe!’. He further lauded Blessing Muzarabani, calling him a ‘blessing in the truest sense.’