India, March 3 -- Zimbabwe may have crashed out of the T20 World Cup 2026 without a single win in the Super 8s, but Sikandar Raza's squad unquestionably punched above its weight. When the 20-team tournament began on February 7, few predicted Zimbabwe would top Group B ahead of Sri Lanka, Australia and Ireland. Yet they stunned everyone by defeating Australia, knocking the 2021 champions out of contention. Days later, Zimbabwe proved it was no fluke, beating co-hosts Sri Lanka to seal top spot and join India, South Africa and the West Indies in the Super 8s.

Ryan Burl, the seasoned Zimbabwe all-rounder, emerged as one of the unsung heroes of the 2026 campaign, producing crucial cameos against Australia and Sri Lanka to power his side to m...