T20 World Cup: Zimbabwe opt to field first against West Indies
February 23, 2026 06:42 pm
Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza won the toss and opted to bowl first against West Indies in both teams’ opening Super Eight clash of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
Both the West Indies and Zimbabwe come into the Super Eight clash as the table-toppers of their respective groups in the tournament’s group-stage.
Two-time champions West Indies secured victories over Scotland, England, Nepal and Italy to progress, while Zimbabwe registered wins against Oman, Australia and Sri Lanka, with their fixture against Ireland ending in a no result due to abandonment.
West Indies’ most notable group-stage triumph came against England, where the Shai Hope-led team defeated the Three Lions by 30 runs in a commanding performance.
Zimbabwe, meanwhile, pulled off a significant 23-run victory over Australia, a result that underlined their strong campaign heading into the Super 8s.
After winning the toss and opting to bowl first, Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza said that he has chosen to bowl first because the pitch historically favours chasing teams.
Zimbabwe playing 11: Brian Bennett, Tadiwanashe Marumani(w), Dion Myers, Sikandar Raza(c), Ryan Burl, Tony Munyonga, Tashinga Musekiwa, Brad Evans, Graeme Cremer, Richard Ngarava, Blessing Muzarabani.
West Indies playing 11: Brandon King, Shai Hope(w/c), Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Jason Holder, Romario Shepherd, Matthew Forde, Akeal Hosein, Gudakesh Motie, Shamar Joseph.
