The historic SSC Ground in Colombo bore witness to a clinical display of modern T20 cricket on February 09, 2026, as Zimbabwe secured a dominant 8-wicket victory over Oman. In the 8th match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 (Group B), the Chevrons signalled their intent to the rest of the world, combining a lethal fast-bowling exhibition with a composed, calculated chase. Under the floodlights of the night session, Zimbabwe simply outclassed the Gulf nation, wrapping up the contest with 39 balls to spare.

Blessing Muzarabani’s fiery spell folds Oman for a modest total

The tone was set in the very first over of the match when Zimbabwe’s pace spearhead, Blessing Muzarabani, began his demolition job. Oman’s innings never found oxygen, gasping for air as Muzarabani extracted bounce and seam movement from the Colombo surface. He struck early by removing skipper Jatinder Singh for 5, and followed it up by dismissing Aamir Kaleem and Karan Sonavale, finishing with stellar figures of 3/16 in his four overs.

The pressure from Muzarabani allowed Richard Ngarava (3/17) and Brad Evans (3/18) to tighten the noose from the other end. Oman’s top order crumbled like a deck of cards, collapsing to a staggering 17/4 within the first four overs. While Sufyan Mehmood (25) and Vinayak Shukla (28) attempted a middle-order rescue act to push the score past the century mark, the relentless accuracy of the Zimbabwean attack was too much to handle. Oman was eventually bundled out for 103 in 19.5 overs, a total that looked woefully inadequate on a sporting Colombo track.

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Brian Bennett pilots Zimbabwe to an emphatic win in T20 World Cup 2026

Chasing a target of 104, Zimbabwe faced a brief hiccup in the powerplay. Mehmood gave Oman a glimmer of hope by removing Tadiwanashe Marumani (21) and Dion Myers (0) in quick succession, leaving Zimbabwe at 30/2. However, young sensation Brian Bennett quickly extinguished any hopes of an upset. Displaying a maturity beyond his years, Bennett anchored the innings with a fluent 48 off 36 balls, laced with six boundaries and a towering six.

Bennett found an experienced ally in the legendary Brendan Taylor, who contributed a steady 31 before unfortunately retiring hurt with the finish line in sight. At 98/2, skip Sikandar Raza walked out to provide the finishing touches, smashing a quick 5* to seal the deal in just 13.3 overs. Zimbabwe’s aggressive approach saw them reach 106/2, securing a massive boost to their Net Run Rate. This comprehensive performance, sparked by Muzarabani’s pace and polished by Bennett’s blade, cements Zimbabwe’s status as the strong competitors in this edition of the T20 World Cup.

A comprehensive victory for Zimbabwe 🙌#ZIMvsOMN #T20WorldCup2026 pic.twitter.com/rfINL7hKp3

— CricketTimes.com (@CricketTimesHQ) February 9, 2026

Also WATCH: Blessing Muzarabani destroys Jatinder Singh’s stumps with a brilliant delivery in T20 World Cup 2026

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