The ICC T20 World Cup 2026 will be a thrilling contest in Colombo, with the R. Sri Lanka will face Zimbabwe in the thirty-eighth match at the Premadasa Stadium.th Feb 3:00 PM IST.
Get the best SL vs ZIM Dream11 Prediction, Fantasy Cricket Tips, Probable Playing XI and Match Information for 38.th ICC T20 World Cup 2026 match. Expert analysis and more.
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SL vs ZIM Match Preview:
On Thursday, 19 February 2026, R. A high-quality contest is set to unfold in Colombo when Sri Lanka take on Zimbabwe in the thirty-eighth match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 at the Premadasa Stadium. Furthermore, this final match of Group B will start at 3:00 PM IST, and both the teams will enter with confidence after officially booking their place in the Super 8 stage. Premadasa pitches usually hold and turn, often bringing the spinners into competition as the innings progress. Therefore, the captain who wins the toss may prefer to bat first, especially as evening dew can make defending totals more difficult on a slow surface.
Sri Lanka currently top the Group B points table with six points from three matches, and they have maintained a perfect record so far. Meanwhile, Zimbabwe are second with five points after winning two matches and collecting one point due to rain. Furthermore, Sri Lanka entered the contest having defeated Australia by eight wickets while chasing a target of 182 runs with two overs remaining. Zimbabwe, on the other hand, arrived in Pallekele after the match against Ireland ended without play due to persistent rain. As a result, this match will decide the group leader, as Zimbabwe can overtake Sri Lanka with a win.
Pathum Nissanka scored a brilliant unbeaten 100 runs in 52 balls against Australia and became the first centuryman of the tournament. Apart from this, Kusal Mendis strengthened the chase by scoring 51 runs, while Dushan Hemantha broke Australia’s middle order by taking 3 wickets for 37 runs. Meanwhile, Zimbabwe pulled off a memorable 23-run win over Australia last time out, with Brian Bennett scoring consecutive half-centuries and Blessing Muzarabani leading the chase with figures of 4 for 17. Sri Lanka dominate with six wins in seven T20Is, yet Zimbabwe have carried huge momentum into this World Cup. Therefore, despite Sri Lanka’s home advantage, Zimbabwe have enough confidence to challenge for the top spot.
SL vs ZIM head-to-head record:
|
teams |
win the match |
|
Sri Lanka |
6 |
|
zimbabwe |
1 |
SL vs ZIM Weather and Pitch Report:
|
temperature |
31°C |
|
weather forecast |
cloudy |
|
pitch behavior |
batting friendly |
|
Best suited for |
spin |
|
Average score of first innings |
160 |
Records of chasing teams:
SL vs ZIM Playing 11s (Predicted):
Sri Lanka playing 11:
1) Pathum Nissanka
2) Kusal Perera
3) Kusal Mendis
4) Pawan Ratnayake
5) Kamindu Mendis
6) Dasun Shanaka
7) Dushan Hemantha
8) Dunith Welles
9) Dushmantha Chameera
10) Mahesh Dikshana
11) Mathisha Pathirana
zimbabwe playing 11: :
1) Brian Bennett
2) Tadivanashe Marumani
3) Ryan Burl
4) Sikandar Raza
5) Dion Myers
6) Tony Munyonga
7) Tashinga Musekiwa
8) Brad Evans
9) Wellington Masakadja
10) Graeme Kramer
11) Blessing Muzarabani
SL vs ZIM Hot Picks for Dream11 Prediction and Fantasy Cricket Tips:
Captaincy Choice:
|
Kusal Mendis – Displaying classy top-order control for Sri Lanka, he is a right-handed batsman who has scored 168 runs so far in this tournament with a consistent run-scoring impact. |
|
Pathum Nissanka – Providing strong consistency for Sri Lanka, he is a right-handed batsman who has scored 137 runs so far in this tournament with confident stroke selection. |
Raises up:
|
Brian Bennett – Emerging as a brilliant opening batsman for Zimbabwe, he has added 112 runs so far in this tournament with fearless intent and fluent timing. |
|
Sikandar Raza – Zimbabwe’s experienced right-handed batsman and right-arm off-break bowler has made a valuable all-round impact, scoring 30 runs and taking 1 wicket so far in this tournament. |
Budget Selection:
|
Graeme Cremer – Zimbabwe’s experienced right-arm leg-break bowler offers smart flight and sharp turn, regularly creating breakthroughs with his aggressive mindset. |
|
Mahesh Theekshana – Sri Lanka’s crafty right-arm off-break bowler brings excellent control and pace variation, making him a consistent wicket-taking threat in crucial overs. |
SL vs ZIM ICC T20 World Cup 2026 Captain and Vice-Captain Choices:
|
captain |
Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis |
|
vice captain |
Brian Bennett and Sikandar Raza |
SL vs ZIM Dream11 Prediction Team 1:
- Keeper – Kusal Mendis
- Batsmen – Pathum Nissanka©, Tadivanashe Marumani, Pawan Rathnayake
- All-rounders – Sikandar Raza, Ryan Burl, Kamindu Mendis, Brad Evans, Brian Bennett (Vice-captain)
- Bowlers- Dushmantha Chameera, Blessing Muzarabani
SL vs ZIM Dream11 Prediction Team 2:
- Keeper – Kusal Mendis ©
- Batsmen – Pathum Nissanka, Pawan Rathnayake
- All-rounders – Sikandar Raza (Vice-Captain), Ryan Burl, Kamindu Mendis, Brad Evans, Brian Bennett
- Bowlers – Graeme Cremer, Blessing Muzarabani, Mahesh Theekshana
SL vs ZIM Dream11 Prediction Today Match 38 ICC T20 World Cup 2026 Players to Avoid:
|
player |
dream11 credit |
Dream11 Points (Last Match) |
|
charit asalanka |
8.0 credit |
No |
|
Tony Munyonga |
6.5 credits |
No |
SL vs ZIM Dream11 Prediction Today Match 38 ICC T20 World Cup 2026 Expert Advice:
|
sl captaincy option |
Pathum Nissanka |
|
gl captaincy option |
Kusal Mendis |
|
choice of punt |
Mahesh Theekshana and Graeme Cremer |
|
dream11 combination |
1-3-5-2 |
SL vs ZIM Match Winner Prediction:
Since Sri Lanka’s recent form will be better, they will be expected to outwit their opponents and win this match.
