Mumbai, Feb 23 (.) A breathtaking 85 off 34 balls by Shimron Hetmyer headlined a dominant batting display as West Indies piled up a massive 254 for six against Zimbabwe in the 44th Match of Super 8 Group 1 of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 at the Wankhede Stadium here on Monday.
After Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza won the toss and opted to bowl, the Caribbean side responded with one of the most explosive innings of the tournament, scoring at a formidable run rate of 12.70 per over.
West Indies had a brisk start but lost Brandon King early for 9, caught by Tashinga Musekiwa off Richard Ngarava at 17 for one in 2.4 overs.
Skipper Shai Hope looked positive during his 14 off 12 balls, striking two boundaries, before falling to Brad Evans at 54 for two in 5.5 overs as Zimbabwe made early inroads during the Powerplay, which yielded 55 runs.
The momentum shifted dramatically once Hetmyer joined forces with Rovman Powell. The duo stitched together a decisive 122-run partnership for the third wicket in just 52 balls, taking the attack to every Zimbabwe bowler.
Hetmyer was in devastating form, smashing seven fours and seven sixes at a strike rate of 250.00. He particularly targeted the spinners and shorter deliveries, exploiting the true bounce and short boundaries.
Hetmyer was eventually dismissed for 85 at 176 for three in 14.3 overs, caught by Brian Bennett off Graeme Cremer. Powell continued the assault, compiling 59 off 35 balls with four fours and four sixes before being caught by Musekiwa off Blessing Muzarabani at 194 for four in 16.1 overs.
The late overs witnessed further carnage. Sherfane Rutherford played a blazing unbeaten knock of 31 off 13 balls, hitting three fours and two sixes. Romario Shepherd struck 21 off 10 balls, including three towering sixes, before falling to Ngarava at 229 for five in 18.4 overs.
Jason Holder added quick runs with 13 off just four deliveries, clearing the ropes twice, before being dismissed by Muzarabani at 248 for six in 19.3 overs. Matthew Forde remained not out on one as West Indies finished strongly.
The Caribbean side plundered 75 runs in the final five overs, underlining their dominance. The innings also featured 21 extras, including 10 wides, 10 leg-byes and a no-ball, compounding Zimbabwe’s struggles.
For Zimbabwe, Ngarava returned figures of 2 for 47 in his four overs, while Muzarabani also claimed 2 for 42. Cremer (1/38) and Evans (1/46) took one wicket each. Raza had an expensive outing, conceding 52 runs in three overs, while Dion Myers leaked 19 runs in his solitary over.
In a high-stakes Super 8 encounter between the X2 and X3 finishers of the earlier stage, West Indies delivered a commanding batting performance to set Zimbabwe a daunting target of 255 under lights at the iconic Mumbai venue.
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