Zimbabwe pulled off one of the biggest moments of the T20 World Cup 2026 with a breathtaking fielding effort that summed up their fearless brand of cricket. In a tense group-stage clash at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on February 13, Tony Munyonga produced a stunning diving catch at deep mid-wicket to dismiss Ben Dwarshuis, tilting the game decisively in Zimbabwe’s favour and pushing Australia closer to a shocking defeat.
Chasing 170, Australia were under pressure from the very start as Zimbabwe’s pace duo of Blessing Muzarabani and Brad Evans ripped through the top order. Reduced to 29/4 inside five overs, the former champions found themselves on the back foot early.
A brief recovery partnership between Matt Renshaw and Glenn Maxwell offered hope, but Zimbabwe’s disciplined bowling and sharp fielding kept the scoring rate in check, forcing Australia into risky strokes as the death overs approached.
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The turning point arrived in the 18th over when Dwarshuis attempted to muscle a much-needed boundary off Brad Evans. The left-hander appeared to have found the gap, but Munyonga sprinted along the rope, launched himself full stretch to his right, and plucked the ball inches above the turf.
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The athletic effort not only brought the Colombo crowd to its feet but also drained the last ounce of momentum from Australia’s chase. From there, Zimbabwe tightened the screws, allowing just two more boundaries as Australia lost their remaining wickets to fall 23 runs short, with three balls still left.
The result echoed Zimbabwe’s famous win over Australia in the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007, adding another chapter to their growing reputation as giant-killers on the world stage.
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With this win, Group B has been thrown wide open. Zimbabwe now sit level on points with Sri Lanka at the top, while Australia face an uphill task to revive their T20 World Cup 2026 campaign.
