Zimbabwe top group B with thrilling win over Sri Lanka

Zimbabwe defeated Sri Lanka by 6 wickets in a dead-rubber thriller in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup at the RPS in Colombo on Thursday. 

Chasing a target of 179 runs, Zimbabwe reached 182 for the loss of 4 wickets with just 3 balls remaining.

Brian Bennett top scored for Zimbabwe with 63 runs while skipper Sikandar Raza contributed with 45 runs. 

Earlier, Sri Lanka posted 178/7 in 20 overs, thanks to composed batting led by Pathum Nissanka and Pavan Rathnayake.

Nissanka played a polished 62 off 41 balls, striking eight boundaries to keep Sri Lanka steady in the powerplay. 

He shared a 50-run opening stand in 25 balls with Kusal Perera, who added a brisk 22, including four boundaries. After six overs, Sri Lanka were 61/1, putting the Zimbabwe bowlers under early pressure.

The middle overs saw a slight dip in scoring as Zimbabwe fought back with timely breakthroughs. 

However, Rathnayake shifted the momentum again with a counterattacking 44 off 25 balls. His knock included three fours and two sixes, injecting much-needed acceleration at a crucial stage. He played positively against both pace and spin, ensuring the run rate never dipped too far.

In the final overs, Dunith Wellalage added the finishing touches with an unbeaten 15 off 8 balls, striking three boundaries to push Sri Lanka closer to the 180 mark.

For Zimbabwe, Graeme Cremer and Blessing Muzarabani claimed two wickets each, but Sri Lanka’s depth and timely partnerships helped them post a competitive total.

--With Agencies Inputs