By late evening on Tuesday (February 17), Zimbabwe had officially booked their place in the Super Eights of the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup — a historic achievement for a team many had written off in a group featuring Australia and Sri Lanka. Defying expectations, Zimbabwe produced a series of commanding performances to seal qualification in style.
While the dressing room celebrations were well deserved, captain Sikandar Raza made it clear that the team’s ambitions extend far beyond just making the next round.
“When Zimbabwe set out, we didn’t set a goal just to qualify,” Raza said in the post-match press conference. “Super Eight is clearly a tick in the box, but it’s certainly not the whole box we set out for. Everybody remains committed and focused on what’s still ahead.”
Raza emphasised that one of the team’s core objectives was to restore pride and respect to Zimbabwe cricket.
“One of the goals we set out for — without telling you all of them — was to bring more recognition and respect to our country. Whatever has happened in the past has happened, but this group has been together for a long time. We’ve gone about our business with honesty and integrity towards the game and towards each other. To see people now taking notice of Zimbabwe and speaking about us respectfully is very humbling.”
A Journey Two Years in the Making
Zimbabwe’s remarkable rise did not happen overnight. According to Raza, the turnaround began nearly two years ago when the team was forced to compete in Sub-Regional Qualifier B in Kenya.
“I remember telling the squad: either we feel sorry for ourselves or we understand the reality — and the reality is it is because of us we are in this mess. And only we can get ourselves out of it.”
The squad agreed to commit to a long-term plan, accepting that setbacks and criticism would be part of the process.
“We knew there would be bad games and criticism. But if we stayed true to the plan, trusted each other and created a better culture, we’d be fine. To see the result after almost two years is certainly very pleasing.”
Focus Shifts to Sri Lanka Clash
Despite the celebrations, Raza was quick to refocus attention on their final group-stage encounter against Sri Lanka in Colombo on February 19.
“We are very humbled, very grateful and very pleased. The boys are enjoying it, rightly so, but we’ve got another game in less than 48 hours, including travel. We’ll celebrate a little, but once we leave the dressing room, our focus shifts quickly.”
Beyond that, Zimbabwe face a challenging Super Eight schedule, including clashes against West Indies in Mumbai, India in Chennai, and South Africa in Delhi. However, Raza insists the team is taking it one match at a time.
“The only game I’m looking forward to is Sri Lanka in two days’ time. After that, we’ll look at what’s to come. We’ve made sure we only look at one game at a time, and that has served us really well.”
From the lows of qualifying rounds to the highs of the Super Eights, Zimbabwe’s campaign has already become one of the standout stories of the tournament — and, if Raza’s words are anything to go by, they believe their journey is far from over.
