The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 ignited in spectacular fashion at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) in Colombo this Monday, February 09. In a high-stakes Group B encounter, Zimbabwe’s pace spearhead Blessing Muzarabani delivered a masterclass in fast bowling, leaving the Oman top order in tatters during the early exchanges of the 8th match of the tournament. After Zimbabwe skipper Sikandar Raza won the toss and elected to field, his frontline bowlers vindicated the decision within minutes under the floodlights.
Blessing Muzarabani rattles Jatinder Singh’s stumps with an unplayable delivery in T20 World Cup 2026
The defining moment of the Powerplay arrived on the very first ball of the second over. Facing a modest target of stability, Oman captain Jatinder Singh was looking to build on a steady start. However, Muzarabani had other plans. Steaming in with his trademark high-arm release, the Zimbabwean quick produced a delivery that will surely feature in the tournament’s highlight reels.
Muzarabani opted for a fuller length, angling the ball into the probing zone. The delivery nipped back sharply off the seam, ghosting through the narrow gap between Jatinder’s bat and pad. The Oman skipper, caught in two minds and playing slightly late off the front foot, could only look back in despair as the ball shattered the timber. The sight of the middle stump cartwheeling away signalled a disastrous start for the Associate nation. Jatinder departed for 5 (5 balls) leaving his side reeling at 7/1 and setting the tone for a brutal opening spell.
Here’s the video:
Absolute beauty from Blessing Muzarabani! 🔥
Pitches it up, the ball swings back in sharply and crashes into the stumps! The Oman captain didn’t see that coming.
ICC Men’s #T20WorldCup | #ZIMvOMA | LIVE NOW 👉 https://t.co/sSkJZZDHu0 pic.twitter.com/tfYnlG9Dgf
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) February 9, 2026
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Oman starts disastrously with an early collapse against Zimbabwe
The dismissal of the captain was merely the catalyst for a systematic dismantling of the Oman batting lineup. Richard Ngarava joined the party from the other end, extracting steep bounce and movement. In the 2.2 over mark, Ngarava induced an edge from Hammad Mirza, who departed for a 5-ball duck after a sharp catch by veteran wicketkeeper Brendan Taylor.
The pressure exerted by the Zimbabwe pace duo was relentless. Muzarabani, returning for his second over, continued to terrorize the batters with sheer pace and pinpoint accuracy. Aamir Kaleem, who had managed a few boundaries, was the next to fall, caught by Dion Myers off Muzarabani for 5. The misery compounded in the final over of the Powerplay when Karan Sonavale edged another Muzarabani delivery to Taylor, leaving the scorecard reading a dismal 17/4.
By the time the players headed for the drinks break at the end of the 6th over, Oman had crawled to 24/4. With Wasim Ali and Sufyan Mehmood left to rebuild from the wreckage, Zimbabwe has firmly asserted its dominance in Group B, proving that their pace attack remains one of the most clinical in the 2026 edition of the T20 World Cup.
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