The T20 World Cup is well underway, and Sikandar Raza’s side has lit up this tournament by reaching the Super Eight for the first time in their history.
To comprehensively beat Australia by 23 runs, then beat Sri Lanka by six wickets, is an outstanding achievement for a team ranked just outside the top 10.
The fact that they have not made it past the group stage of an ICC event since the 1999 50-Over World Cup makes these two victories all the more special.
Muzarabani Leading The Charge
The right-arm speedster has been one of Zimbabwe’s standout performers in the tournament.
His 4-17 against Australia was the key moment, as he picked up the key wicket of Matt Renshaw, whose 65 off 44 was threatening to take the game away from Zimbabwe.
Against Sri Lanka, he picked up the wickets of Kusal Perera and Dasun Shanaka, to restrict them to 178-7, which they chased down with the loss of just four wickets.
What has also been impressive about him is his control and accuracy of line and length.
He also takes the key wickets at the important moments of the game, i.e., powerplay and death overs.
How far Zimbabwe goes in this tournament could be determined by how it performs with the ball.
Bennet Let’s The Bat Do The Talking
But in order to take those crucial wickets, you need someone to put the runs on the board.
Who better to do that than the Zimbabwean opener?
Bennet has a consistent performer at the top of the order, scoring 175 runs in Zimbabwe’s three games thus far, at a strike rate of 125.
He is the glue to their batting, and his presence in the middle has provided them with assurance of winning the game.
What Zimbabwe now need is for the likes of Captain Sikandar Raza, Dion Myers, and Ryan Burl to chip in with the runs, especially if Bennet is dismissed early.
Can they rise to the occasion?
Raza’s team will now move into the Super Eights stage, where they will play in Group 1 with India, South Africa, and the West Indies.
This will be a stiffer test for them, but one they will surely relish playing.
How far can Zimbabwe go in the T20 World Cup?
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