T20 World Cup: Sikandar Raza, Brian Bennett power Zimbabwe past Sri Lanka by 6 wickets ahead of Super 8 stage

He followed that with a calculated assault on Maheesh Theekshana in the next over, collecting 11 runs and pushing the chase firmly within reach. By the time the final over arrived, the path had been cleared, and Raza ensured the job was finished with the authority expected from a captain leading from the front.

Yet, the chase was not built on aggression alone. At the other end, Brian Bennett quietly stitched the innings together. In a format increasingly drifting away from the traditional anchor, Bennett once again showed the value of a batter willing to hold the innings in place. After his unbeaten 64 off 56 against Australia earlier in Zimbabwe’s previous completed match, he played another measured hand, scoring an unbeaten 60 off 48 balls and providing the platform from which Raza could launch.

The pair’s stand of 69 runs in 50 balls went a long way in helping Zimbabwe get home, underlining not just composure but also their ability to read conditions and opposition. They were particularly smart against Sri Lanka’s spinners, rotating strike early before picking the right moments to attack, thereby never allowing the required rate to escalate and the pressure to get to them.

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T20 cricket is fast-moving toward relentless hitting, often sidelining the role of the stabiliser. But chases like these underline why balance still matters. Zimbabwe’s approach on Thursday offered a glimpse of that equilibrium – Bennett absorbing pressure, Raza accelerating when it mattered most.

With the Super 8 stage now moving to Indian conditions – where surfaces can range from flat to sharply turning – that kind of measured adaptability could hold them in good stead. If different situations demand different tempos, Zimbabwe appear to have both bases covered.

Double leg-spin threat

All eyes in the Zimbabwe bowling unit are naturally drawn to the towering presence of Blessing Muzarabani, whose height and steep bounce make him the headline threat. But during the Super 8 stage in India, there is another dimension to Zimbabwe’s attack that could quietly shape the contest – a twin leg-spin challenge in Graeme Cremer and Ryan Burl.

Against Sri Lanka in Colombo on Thursday, the pair combined effectively to apply the brakes on the innings, returning combined figures of 3/43 in six overs.

Burl, who bowls flatter and often pushes the ball through a touch quicker, struck first. With his very first ball in the 13th over, he deceived Kusal Mendis with a drifting leg-break that dipped and spun away sharply. Drawn forward and beaten on the outside edge, Mendis was stranded as Tadiwanashe Marumani completed a sharp stumping to remove him for 14.

Cremer, the more classical leg-spinner who relies on flight, drift and sharp turn, then took over. The veteran wrist-spinner produced extra bounce to undo the in-form Pathum Nissanka, who top-edged a reverse sweep. Circling under it at backward point, Tony Munyonga kept his composure to complete a fine catch. Soon after, Cremer tossed one up slower at the stumps to Kamindu Mendis, who chipped it back for a sharp caught-and-bowled. He was the more successful of the two, finishing with 2/27 in four overs.

Next week, India’s power-packed middle order – Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube – will pose a sterner test, but if Chepauk offers turn, Zimbabwe’s leg-spin pair could yet make it interesting.

Brief Scores: Sri Lanka 178/7 in 20 overs (Pathum Nissanka 62, Graeme Cremer 2/27) lost to Zimbabwe 182/4 in 19.3 overs (Brian Bennett 60 not out, Sikandar Raza 45; Dushan Hemantha 2/36) by 6 wickets