Zimbabwe aim to offer Australia a stern test

After a slightly delayed but emphatic start to their 2026 T20 World Cup campaign, Australia will look to build momentum when they face Zimbabwe in the day game at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Friday. Australia are coming off a 67-run win over Ireland, while Zimbabwe began with an eight-wicket demolition of Oman and will enter the contest high on confidence.

Even without their premier quicks, Australia found control through Nathan Ellis and Adam Zampa, who claimed four wickets apiece to keep Ireland in check. The bowling unit looked balanced, and the batters adjusted smartly to conditions to post 182 on a surface that offered assistance to the slower bowlers. It was a total that proved more than competitive, underlining Australia's ability to assess and adapt. Another clinical outing is what they will be hoping for as they look to take a step closer to the knockouts.

Zimbabwe, too, will seek continuity. Their opening game was defined by pace, with Blessing Muzarabani, Richard Ngarava and Brad Evans picking up three wickets each to dismantle Oman. Brian Bennett and Tadiwanashe Marumani then ensured there were no hiccups in the chase. The step up in opposition is significant, but Zimbabwe will hope to carry forward the clarity and conviction of their first performance and test Australia more sternly.

When:Friday, February 13, 2026 at 11:00 AM Local Time

Where: Match 19, R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo

What to expect: This will be the first 11 AM start of the tournament at the R Premadasa Stadium, raising the possibility of early assistance for the bowlers. Sri Lanka successfully defended 163 here in a 7 PM fixture against Ireland, while Australia cruised past the same opposition after batting first in a 3 PM start. An even earlier game pushes both sides into relatively uncharted territory, but the template may still lean towards batting first and applying scoreboard pressure, especially if there is early movement on offer. Scattered thunderstorms are forecast for the afternoon, which could bring DLS calculations into play if the match extends into that window.

Head to head: Australia have a 2-1 record over Zimbabwe in T20Is. Zimbabwe's only win against them came in the inaugural edition of the T20 World Cup, in which Brendan Taylor played a key role.

Team News:

Australia:Australia were without Mitchell Marsh in the opening game as he continued his recovery from a groin injury, while Tim David also sat out with a hamstring concern. "He's flying, he's running, fielding. And yeah, he's hitting the ball miles. So I hope we see him in the next game. If not, maybe the game after that. Not sure," Nathan Ellis had said of David after the previous match. Both players will be keen for game time, but with sterner assignments looming, Australia may yet choose caution and manage their return rather than rush them back.

Probable XI: Travis Head (c), Josh Inglis (wk), Cameron Green, Matt Renshaw, Cooper Connolly, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Nathan Ellis, Xavier Bartlett, Matthew Kuhnemann, Adam Zampa

Zimbabwe:Brendan Taylor limped off after retiring hurt in the win over Oman, casting a shadow over an otherwise dominant outing. Skipper Sikandar Raza struck a cautious note afterwards: "Hopefully, we've got three or four days, but we'll wait for the scan. His initial reaction was, 'I think it's bad', but we'll wait for the medical report." Blessing Muzarabani, speaking later at the press conference suggested it might have been 'a little cramp' and not 'anything serious'. If that proves to be the case, Zimbabwe could well stick with an unchanged XI.

Probable XI: Brian Bennett, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Dion Myers, Brendan Taylor (wk), Sikandar Raza (c), Ryan Burl, Tashinga Musekiwa, Brad Evans, Wellington Masakadza, Richard Ngarava, Blessing Muzarabani

What they said:

"I don't look at myself as the leader of the attack. It means a lot for me to be here in the Australian jersey at a World Cup. That's probably the biggest thing" - Nathan Ellis,on taking the lead role in the absence of Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins.

"We clearly believe that we can actually beat those teams, but we have to play our best cricket to win against them. So a good ball is going to be a good ball. They're going to be a tough opponent but we believe that we play the best cricket, we win good positions" - Blessing Muzarabani, on facing Australia and Sri Lanka.