Australia’s T20 World Cup campaign is on thin ice after a shock 23-run group stage loss to Zimbabwe on Friday in Colombo.
The fragility of Australia’s top order reared its ugly head once again in a stunning collapse of 4/16 to make Zimbabwe’s total of 2/169 out of reach.
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Matt Renshaw (65) fought admirably to take the run chase deep with his first T20 international fifty, but the damage was done early on a wearing pitch.
Cameron Green and Tim David fell for ducks, while stand-in skipper Travis Head (17) and Josh Inglis (8) were also caught up in the carnage.
Zimbabwean seamers Blessing Muzarabani and Brad Evans wreaked havoc in the powerplay, knocking over Australia’s top four before adding to their wicket tallies at the back end.
Muzarabani (4/17) and Evans (3/23) have both played club cricket as professionals in Manchester in recent years, and they made the Australian batters look like clubbies in one of their best performances of their international careers.
MATCH CENTRE: Australia vs Zimbabwe live scorecard
With their latest victory, Zimbabwe have cemented themselves as one of Australia’s bogey sides.
Australia have never beaten the African nation at a T20 World Cup after Zimbabwe stunned the ODI World Cup winners at the inaugural edition of the tournament in 2007.
Zimbabwe also won a game in a three-match ODI series in north Queensland four years ago and have defeated Australia in four of their last ten contests across formats.
Zimbabwe also jump Australia into second place on the Group B table after defeating Oman in their tournament opener.
Australia will now likely need to defeat co-hosts Sri Lanka and Oman, and enhance their net run rate, to progress to the Super 8s.
Scroll down for the Big Hits from Australia’s loss to Zimbabwe!
“So unlucky!” – Head dismissed cruelly | 00:25
AUSSIE TOP ORDER WOES STRIKE AGAIN
All the talk coming into this World Cup was about how Australia would fare against spin in Sri Lanka during the group stage, but the top order was undone by seam against Zimbabwe.
Making the collapse all the more curious was that Head chose to bowl first at the toss.
“I don’t know about a night game, but in a day game, this looks like the sort of pitch where you win the toss and bat,” Pakistan great Wasim Akram said on commentary.
Chasing has been the customary method in the Big Bash and throughout Mitchell Marsh’s time at the helm of Australia’s white-ball side, but batting first served them well against Ireland.
“We thought it was a pretty good wicket. We thought it was pretty tacky at the start and would be a good wicket throughout the game,” Head said post-game of his decision at the toss.
“I think it showed that it was.”
He added: “If you gave us that score after winning the toss, I think we’d take it.”
Australia’s tournament opener was played on a used pitch, but at the same venue, they must surely have seen the benefit of getting first use on a slow and low surface.
As a result of the conditions, Australia’s batter struggled to create their own pace against Zimbabwe’s seamers.
Player of the match Muzarabani dismissed both Josh Inglis and Tim David on the pull shot.
While Evans’ lack of bounce found Head and Green’s bottom edges.
With four wickets falling in the space 20 balls, former Australian white-ball captain Aaron Finch was scratching his head in the commentary box.
“We’re in trouble here,” he said after Green was dismissed.
When Head fell shortly after, Finch added: “From bad to worse for Australia.
“Things could not be going more perfectly for Zimbabwe. They’re dancing in the stands all right.”
Zimbabwe’s Graeme Cremer (R) takes a catch to dismiss Australia’s Tim David (L) during the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup group stage match between Australia and Zimbabwe at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on February 13, 2026. (Photo by Ishara S. KODIKARA / AFP)Source: AFP
Neither Muzarabani or Evans is blessed with an abundance of pace, with the speed gun registering in the low 130s, but they used the conditions to their advantage.
Australia‘s batters struggled to force the issue in Pakistan earlier this month in the pre-tournament warm-up series.
And the same theme prevailed against Zimbabwe, albeit against pace rather than spin.
In fact, it has been a theme for some time now.
Zimbabwe’s Blessing Muzarabani celebrates the wicket of Australia’s Tim David during the T20 World Cup cricket match between Australia and Zimbabwe in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Friday, Feb. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)Source: AP
Australia’s T20 side had been knocked over for less than 120 three times in their past six T20s coming into the clash with Zimbabwe.
Two of those came against Pakistan, while the other was on a tricky, drop-in pitch on the Gold Coast against India.
Australia’s power-packed top order has simply come unstuck too often in recent times when the pitch has not been suitable for clearing the fence with ease.
They regularly racked up big totals in the Caribbean and against South Africa and New Zealand in batter friendly conditions last year.
But have struggled to shift gears and approach in more trying circumstances.
It is why the calls ridiculing the exclusion of Steve Smith will only grow louder after this performance.
TOPSHOT – Zimbabwe’s Brad Evans (R) celebrates after taking the wicket of Australia’s Cameron Green (L) during the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup group stage match between Australia and Zimbabwe at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on February 13, 2026. (Photo by Ishara S. KODIKARA / AFP)Source: AFP
AUSSIE MAY LOSE MAIN MAN
Australia’s hopes of winning a second T20 World Cup may have copped a massive blow during the first innings with Marcus Stoinis leaving the field with a hand injury.
The all-rounder was struck near the thumb during his third over when Zimbabwe No.3 Ryan Burl hammered a low full toss straight back at the bowler.
Stoinis (1/17 from 2.5 overs) was unable to finish the over as he headed for the dressing room.
He came out to bat at No.7 to try to pull off a heroic finishers innings but was caught at deep mid-wicket for 6.
The West Australian appeared to be in discomfort throughout his stay the crease despite impressively reverse sweeping his first ball to the boundary.
Stoinis may now join captain Mitchell Marsh as well as fast bowlers Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood on the sidelines.
“They can’t afford anymore injuries,” former Australian captain Aaron Finch said on commentary.
Marcus Stoinis leaves the field.Source: Supplied
Cameron Green (1/6 from 1.1 overs) finished the rest of the over, dismissing Burl with the one delivery he needed to send down.
The fact Green stepped in was perhaps a little symbolic for Australia.
Stoinis opened the bowling and with spinners Adam Zampa and Matt Kuhnemann in the side, having a pace bowling all-rounder is a massive bonus to the balance of the side.
Given Nathan Ellis is rarely sighted with a new Kookaburra in hand, Green may be tasked with providing more overs in an attack that lacked potency against Zimbabwe’s top order.
But it is with the bat where Australia may feel the biggest loss if Stoinis is sidelined for a substantial period of time.
The right-hander has been Australia’s main man with the willow in T20 World Cups this decade.
Stoinis averaged 42 at a strike rate of 164 in the Caribbean two years ago after also averaging 42 at a strike rate of 162 on home soil in 2022.
His remarkable record also extends back to the victorious 2021 campaign in the United Arab Emirates where Stoinis averaged 80 at a strike rate of 137.
Adding to his glittering resume, the 36-year-old topped score with 45 in Australia’s tournament opening victory against Ireland on Wednesday.
Stoinis has just about perfected the No.6 role on the global stage and will no doubt leave a significant void if his injury is severe.
Marcus Stoinis leaves the field.Source: Supplied
OLD SCHOOL IS BACK IN FASHION
Eyes rolled and eyebrows were raised when Zimbabwe’s batters walked off the ground with a total of 2/169.
Opener Brian Bennett carried his bat for an unbeaten 64 from 56 balls, while the four Zimbabweans that batted all contributed at least 25.
They did not clear the rope until skipper Sikandar Raza smacked a six off Nathan Ellis on the final ball of the delivery.
It felt like they never shifted gears and just cruised to a competitive total without ever making the most of the advantage that is having wickets in hand.
It felt very 1990s ODI, but it worked.
Australia’s bowling attack never looked threatening and were comfortably milked.
“If you looked for 190, you’d be 140 all out,” Raza said post-match.
“175 was what we were looking for.”
While No.3 Ryan Burl shared the same sentiment.
“We don’t think it’s a 200 wicket; we were aiming for 170,” Burl said at the innings break.
“We parked our egos and didn’t attack the spinners, who mostly bowled into the wind, and tried to cash in against the quicks down wind.”
Australia’s batters certainly could have learned from their opponents.
Matt Renshaw played an impressive fighting innings with his half-century, which included a 77-run stand with Glenn Maxwell (31).
Australia’s Matthew Renshaw celebrates his fifty runs during the T20 World Cup cricket match between Australia and Zimbabwe in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Friday, Feb. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)Source: AP
The left-hander has well and truly repaid the selectors’ faith for his last-minute call-up to the squad.
Renshaw replaced Matt Short in the squad, not because Short was injured, but because George Bailey and co felt the need the thrust the Queenslander into the line-up due to his excellent play of spin.
Renshaw felt in control throughout his innings and still managed to bring up his first T20 international fifty in 34 balls.
After making 37 against Ireland, Renshaw is Australia’s leading run-scorer in the tournament and has shown that deviating away from the common bash and crash approach is the right ploy.
He still struck four fours and a six, and the Australian coaching staff may be showing clips of Renshaw to his teammates to show them how to better handle the conditions.
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