Online Reporter
Brandon Moyo, Zimpapers Sports Hub
RAWALPINDI witnessed a spectacle on Thursday as Zimbabwe’s senior men’s cricket team, the Chevrons, stormed back into the Pakistan T20I Tri-Series with a commanding 67-run victory over Sri Lanka — a triumph that will be etched in the annals of Zimbabwean cricket history.
After a disappointing opener against Pakistan, the Chevrons responded with ruthless precision.
Defending a target of 163, they dismantled Sri Lanka for a meagre 95 runs in 20 overs, sealing their largest margin of victory over a Full Member in T20Is.
This was no fluke. It marked the second time in two months that Zimbabwe had restricted Sri Lanka to under 100 runs in a T20I, following their demolition job in Harare in September when the Lankans were skittled for 80. Only India and Australia share this rare feat with Zimbabwe — proof of the Chevrons’ growing stature in the shortest format.
Ranked 12th on the ICC Men’s T20I Team Rankings, Zimbabwe’s statement win piled misery on eighth-placed Sri Lanka, who remain winless on their Pakistan tour. The result catapulted the Chevrons to the top of the Tri-Series standings with two points and a superior net run rate of 1.471, ahead of Pakistan’s 0.460.
For skipper Sikandar Raza, Thursday was doubly special. Playing his 300th match for Zimbabwe across formats, he led from the front with a sparkling 47 off 32 balls and a wicket, earning the Player of the Match award. His words after the game summed up his philosophy:
“As a captain you have to lead from the front. Once you see the team captain do all the right things, I need to set an example. Once I can have good work ethics, I feel everyone will follow. You want to be there when the chips are down and be prepared to do the dirty work for the team. If I’m trying, I feel my team is going to try. We have put ourselves in a decent position to get to the final. We know how good Sri Lanka are. A bad game can happen and I’m glad it happened against us.”
Asked to bat first, Zimbabwe posted 162/6. Brian Bennett was destructive yet again, falling agonisingly short of a half-century for the second match running with 49. Raza’s 47 anchored the innings, while Sri Lanka’s Wanindu Hasaranga fought back with 3/32 in his four overs.
With the ball, Zimbabwe were relentless. Richard Ngarava struck in the first over, removing Pathum Nissanka for a five-ball duck. Tinotenda Maposa followed up in the next over, dismissing Kusal Perera for four. At 6/2 inside two overs, Sri Lanka were in tatters.
The star of the bowling show was Bradley Evans, who delivered a masterclass with figures of 3/9 in four overs. Ngarava chipped in with 2/15, while Maposa, Raza, Graeme Cremer and Ryan Burl claimed one wicket apiece. Raza’s scalp also saw him join Ngarava as only the second Zimbabwean bowler to reach 100 T20I wickets.
The Chevrons now turn their focus to Pakistan in a high-stakes clash at Rawalpindi tomorrow, starting at 3pm.
With momentum on their side and a place in the final within reach, Zimbabwe have sent a clear message: they are here to compete, and they are here to win. – @brandon_malvin
