On February 19 at 3.00 pm Indian time at R. Colombo. An important match at the Premadasa Stadium. Tournament co-host Sri Lanka will take on Zimbabwe. This match can shape the points table of Group B of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026.
The following article contains the detailed description of the playing XI between the two teams, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. The 38th match of the ICC T20 World Cup will mark a fierce rivalry between these two sides. Zimbabwe has already proved the experts wrong by winning the match against Australia. Both teams will be looking to get one more win before the conclusion of the group stage.
Sri Lanka Playing XI vs ZIM-ICC T20 World Cup 2026:
Openers: Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara.
On any given day, these two batsmen can be lethal against any bowling attack around the world. A well-balanced opening pair, where Pathum Nissanka will be in charge of shaping the innings from the top. The team’s score will largely depend on how the openers perform.
Middle-order: Kusal Mendis(w), Pawan Rathnayake, Kamindu Mendis, Dasun Shanaka(c), Dushan Hemantha.
Needless to say, the biggest spotlight will be on keeper-batsman Kusal Mendis. After playing a few matches in the tournament, he had a batting average of 117.00, which included two half-centuries. Currently, he is one of the most consistent batsmen in the entire competition. The middle-order looks more compact in the presence of Kamindu Mendis and captain Dasun Shanaka.
Bowlers: Dunit Velazquez, Dushmantha Chameera, Mahesh Theekshana, Matt
The bowling department of the national cricket team of the island country has not been able to perform at its best so far. His bowling performance so far in the tournament has not been above average marks. However, Mahesh Theekshana proved his worth by taking 5 wickets in 2 matches at an impressive economy rate of 4.25. Due to playing on home soil, expectations from the bowlers are high.
Sri Lanka Playing 11: Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara, Kusal Mendis (wk), Pawan Rathnayake, Kamindu Mendis, Dasun Shanaka (captain), Dushan Hemantha, Dunith Wellelage, Dushmantha Chameera, Mahish Theekshana, Mathisha Pathirana.
Zimbabwe Playing XI vs SL-T20 World Cup 2026:
Openers: Brian Bennett, Tadivanashe Marumani.
The opening pair of Brian Bennett and Tadivanashe Marumani worked like a good machine in their previous match against Australia, where Zimbabwe won by 23 runs. Batting first, the openers made a partnership of 61 runs against Australia. They will try to do the same against Sri Lanka.
Middle-order: Dion Myers, Sikandar Raza (captain), Ryan Burl, Tony Munyonga and Tashinga Musekiwa.
The middle order is helping the openers well. The presence of captain Sikandar Raza and Ryan Burl will remain a constant threat to the Sri Lankan bowlers.. Both the batsmen had batted effectively in their last match. Tony Munyonga and Tashinga Musekiwa can increase the run rate by using their muscular powers.
Bowlers: Brad Evans, Wellington Masakadja, Graeme Cremer, Blessing Muzarabani.
More than the batting, it was mostly the bowlers who achieved important wins against a strong Australian team. Blessing Muzarabani and Brad Evans were fantastic. The combination of these two fast bowlers can cause a lot of damage. Sri Lankan batsmen will have to prepare their defense to compete with Evans and Muzarabani. One more thing that needs to be written is the excellent fielding efforts of the team. He will not hesitate to throw his body in the air to dismiss a batsman.
Zimbabwe’s playing 11: Brian Bennett, Tadivanashe Marumani (wk), Dion Myers, Sikandar Raza (captain), Ryan Burl, Tony Munyonga, Tashinga Musekiwa, Brad Evans, Wellington Masakadza, Graeme Cremer, Blessing Muzarabani.
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