Zimbabwe have created history at the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 by qualifying for the Super 8 stage for the very first time. Considered underdogs before the tournament, Zimbabwe’s remarkable rise has been powered by one towering fast bowler whose ability to choke runs has completely changed their fortunes.

That bowler is Blessing Muzarabani. Standing at 6 feet 8 inches, Muzarabani has been nothing short of a nightmare for batters. His disciplined line and length, combined with steep bounce and clever use of slow pitches, have made run-scoring extremely difficult — even for some of the world’s best players.

Zimbabwe’s historic group-stage run

Zimbabwe began their campaign with an emphatic 8-wicket win over Oman cricket team, setting the tone early. They then pulled off the biggest upset of the tournament by defeating Australia cricket team by 23 runs. Their match against Ireland cricket team was washed out due to rain, earning them one point.

With two wins and one no-result, Zimbabwe finished the group stage with five points from three matches, enough to seal a historic Super 8 qualification and eliminate Australia from the tournament.

Muzarabani’s impact

The backbone of this success has been Muzarabani’s miserly bowling spells. His accuracy and control have kept opposition scoring rates in check, while his height has extracted extra bounce that batters have struggled to handle. He is currently among the top five wicket-takers in the tournament, despite playing fewer matches than most others on the list — giving him a real chance to finish as the leading wicket-taker.

Zimbabwe still have one group-stage match left against Sri Lanka cricket team. Following that, they will face elite sides such as West Indies cricket team, India cricket team, and South Africa cricket team in the Super 8s.