Zimbabwe pulled off a major heist against Sri Lanka in Colombo’s R. Premadasa Stadium during T20 World Cup 2026 action. The islanders set 179 but watched helplessly as the visitors chased it down with ease, winning by 6 wickets and 3 balls remaining.
Captain Dasun Shanaka faced the media with brutal honesty. ‘Our plan with the ball was simple: grab early wickets. But we failed there. The new guys in the attack need time to sync up. No excuses, though – we should have performed better. My tactical calls didn’t work either,’ he reflected.
Bright spots included Pathum Nissanka’s classy 62 from 41 deliveries and Pavan Rathnayake’s explosive 44 off 25 balls, laced with boundaries and sixes. Yet, it wasn’t enough against Zimbabwe’s composed reply led by Brian Bennett (63*) and Sikandar Raza (45).
With Super 8 spots secured for both sides, this defeat exposes Sri Lanka’s bowling frailties. Shanaka’s no-nonsense take underscores the urgency for fixes before the tournament heats up.