MUMBAI – In a high-stakes clash at the iconic Wankhede Stadium, Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza won the toss and elected to bowl first against West Indies in the T20 World Cup 2026 on Monday. Both teams made a single change to their line-ups, setting the stage for an electrifying Super 12 encounter.
Raza’s decision was influenced by the venue’s history favoring chases. ‘We want to give our pacers an early crack at the batters,’ he said post-toss. Richard Ngarava replaces Masakadza, bolstering the seam attack. Facing champions West Indies here is an honor, Raza added.
West Indies skipper Shai Hope agreed the pitch suits bowling first. ‘Our record here is stellar, but we need to perform,’ he noted. Romario Shepherd returns, replacing Roston Chase, adding firepower to the middle order.
Zimbabwe stunned everyone in the group stage, upsetting Australia and Sri Lanka under Raza’s leadership. Brian Bennett has been their batting mainstay, amassing 175 runs in three games, including an unbeaten 63 against Sri Lanka. Raza contributes with both bat and ball.
Blessing Muzarabani leads the bowling with 9 wickets in three matches. Expect fireworks from him against West Indies’ explosive top order.
West Indies have dominated, with Hope scoring 155 runs in four games while captaining astutely. Shimron Hetmyer strikes at 159, notching 134 runs. Jason Holder and Shamar Joseph each claim 7 wickets, while Gudakesh Motie controls the middle overs.
West Indies XI: B King, S Hope (wk), S Hetmyer, R Powell, S Rutherford, J Holder, R Shepherd, M Forde, A Hosein, G Motie, S Joseph.
Zimbabwe XI: B Bennett, T Marumani (wk), R Burl, S Raza (c), T Muskwewa, T Munyonga, D Myers, B Evans, G Cremer, R Ngarava, B Muzarabani.
As the Caribbean flair meets Zimbabwe’s grit, Wankhede promises a spectacle. Who will advance? The race is on.