Final result
Zimbabwe Cricket won by 23 runs
Player of the match: B Muzarabani
Result · T20 Internationals
Zimbabwe Cricket vs Australia
Result · T20 Internationals
Venue par · 189Chase success · 48%POTM · B Muzarabani
Match preview & overview
Zimbabwe stun Australia by 23 runs in Colombo T20I
Zimbabwe beat Australia by 23 runs in a T20I at R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo on 13 February 2026. Batting first after Australia chose to field, Zimbabwe posted 169/2, led by a powerplay in which they scored 47 runs without loss. Australia's reply began disastrously: 4 wickets gone for 38 runs inside the first six overs. They were never in the chase, and a death-overs collapse of 5 wickets for 32 runs sealed the defeat at 146 all out. Blessing Muzarabani took the Player of the Match award for Zimbabwe.
For context, Australia lead the overall T20I head-to-head with Zimbabwe 14 wins to 4, across 19 meetings. This result brings Zimbabwe to 5 wins in the series. It is also only Zimbabwe's second victory over Australia in the last six meetings between the sides, their previous win having come in 2022 at Riverway Stadium.
Australia arrived in Colombo having lost three consecutive T20Is to Pakistan in 2026, so confidence was already brittle. Zimbabwe, meanwhile, had beaten Oman in their most recent 2026 outing and showed no signs of underestimating the occasion.
Pitch report & venue insights
R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo — 176-match sample
Aggregate conditions from 2005–2025. Numbers that tend to decide matches at this ground — par score, chase success, powerplay averages and toss bias.
176
T20 matches hosted
189
Avg 1st-innings score
161
Avg 2nd-innings score
48%
Chase success rate
45
Avg powerplay runs
34%
Toss-field rate
Key talking points
Moments the match hinged on
Headline angle
Zimbabwe post 169/2 despite below-par venue average
The R. Premadasa Stadium averages 189 in the first innings across 176 matches, so Zimbabwe's 169/2 was below the venue norm. However, their powerplay was sharp: 47 runs without loss in the first six overs, well above the ground's average powerplay of 46 runs.
Angle 02
Australia collapse in both powerplay and death overs
Angle 03
B Muzarabani takes Player of the Match
Angle 04
Australia's toss decision backfires badly
Angle 05
Zimbabwe's rare win over Australia in 19 meetings
Key players
Players who decided it
Zimbabwe Cricket
B Muzarabani
Sri Lanka (venue context)
PWH de Silva
Betting & analytical angles
Angles the data surfaced
- Top Zimbabwe batter markets may have been more attractive than outright lines given their clean powerplay start, which historically rewards those who backed an aggressive opening stand.
- The venue's chase success rate of 48% across 176 matches suggested a roughly even contest on paper; the actual powerplay collapse for Australia illustrates how quickly those numbers shift once early wickets fall.
- Player of the Match markets centred on bowlers could be worth monitoring in future neutral-venue T20Is involving Zimbabwe, given Muzarabani's recurring impact in these conditions.
- Australia's recent form coming in (three consecutive losses to Pakistan in 2026) may have been reflected in pre-match markets, making the outright result less straightforward than the head-to-head record alone implied.
For editorial context only. Not a forecast and not betting advice. 18+ only, please gamble responsibly.
Frequently asked
Questions about Zimbabwe Cricket vs Australia
Who won the Zimbabwe vs Australia T20I on 13 February 2026?
Zimbabwe won by 23 runs at R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. They posted 169/2 batting first and bowled Australia out for 146. Blessing Muzarabani was named Player of the Match.
What was the head-to-head record between Zimbabwe and Australia in T20Is before this match?
Australia led the T20I head-to-head 14 wins to Zimbabwe's 4, with one no result across 19 meetings. Zimbabwe had last beaten Australia in a T20I in 2022, by 3 wickets at Riverway Stadium in Townsville.
Where was the Zimbabwe vs Australia T20I played?
The match was played at R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, Sri Lanka. It is a high-scoring venue with an average first-innings total of 189 across 176 T20 matches, though Zimbabwe's 169/2 proved more than sufficient on the day.
Where could UK fans watch the Zimbabwe vs Australia T20I?
UK viewers can generally follow T20 international cricket via Sky Sports Cricket, with streaming available through Sky Go and NOW TV. For specific broadcast details on this fixture, checking the ECB's official broadcast listings or Sky Sports schedules is advisable.
Who was Player of the Match in the Zimbabwe vs Australia T20I in Colombo?
Blessing Muzarabani of Zimbabwe took the Player of the Match award for his bowling performance, which proved decisive as Australia collapsed in the powerplay and again in the death overs of their chase.
What was the toss result and did it affect the outcome?
Australia won the toss and chose to field. The decision did not pay off: Zimbabwe scored 47 runs in the powerplay without losing a wicket, and posted 169/2. Australia's chase never recovered from losing 4 wickets for 38 runs in their own powerplay.
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Photo credits (1)
- Wanindu Hasaranga — photo by 04 ATM 04, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source