The Wankhede Stadium erupted on Monday as West Indies scripted history in the T20 World Cup 2026, amassing 254 for 6 in 20 overs against Zimbabwe – the tournament’s biggest total to date. Shimron Hetmyer’s pyrotechnics and Rovman Powell’s solidity turned the game on its head after a shaky start.
Opting to bowl first after winning the toss, Zimbabwe saw their plans unravel. Openers Brandon King (9 off 12) and Shai Hope (14 off 12) fell cheaply, leaving West Indies at a precarious position. Enter Hetmyer and Powell, who stitched a vital 122-run stand for the third wicket, injecting momentum into the innings.
Hetmyer treated the bowlers with disdain, hammering a 19-ball fifty en route to 85 off 34 balls – a knock adorned with 7 fours and 7 sixes. Powell anchored the innings with a composed 59 off 35 balls (4×4, 4×6), ensuring the scoring rate never dipped. The finish was explosive: Shepherd’s 21 off 10, Holder’s 13 off 4, and Rutherford’s unbeaten 31 off 13 (3×4, 2×6) pushed the total beyond imagination.
Zimbabwe’s Blessing Muzarabani snared 2 wickets, but the attack leaked runs freely. Team changes included West Indies slotting in Romario Shepherd over Roston Chase, and Zimbabwe picking Richard Ngarava for Masakadza.
Full line-ups: West Indies: King, Hope (wk), Hetmyer, Powell, Rutherford, Holder, Shepherd, Forde, Hosein, Motie, Joseph. Zimbabwe: Bennett, Marumani (wk), Burl, Raza (c), Musakanda, Munyonga, Myers, Evans, Cremer, Ngarava, Muzarabani.
With such a mountain to climb, Zimbabwe’s batsmen face their sternest test yet in this high-stakes clash.