T20 WC: Zimbabwe kick-start campaign against Oman
What's the story
The T20 World Cup 2026 is already shaping up to be a tournament of surprises. After the Netherlands almost stunned Pakistan and the USA gave India a scare, it's time for Oman to take center stage. The team will go head-to-head with Zimbabwe in Colombo on Monday, in a crucial Group B match. The encounter is especially interesting as it comes just days after their warm-up match. where Oman chased down a daunting target against Zimbabwe.
Match details
Pitch report and other details
The Sinhalese Sports Club Ground has hosted 10 T20I matches so far, with chasing teams winning six times. Hence, the toss-winning skipper is expected to elect fielding. The pitch is expected to be spin-friendly as the match will be played in the afternoon. One can watch the match live on the Star Sports Network and stream it on the JioHotstar app/website (3:00pm IST).
Team evolution
Oman's journey to the T20 World Cup
Oman have come a long way since becoming an ICC Affiliate in 2000. The team has progressed from being a regional side to a four-time T20 World Cup participant (2016, 2021, 2024, and 2026). After finishing as runners-up in the Asia Qualifier, they enter this tournament with a world ranking of 18th. Despite a winless Rising Stars Asia Cup campaign, they showed resilience against India A. They are gearing up for their first T20I against Zimbabwe.
Team outlook
Zimbabwe's recent form and squad dynamics
Meanwhile, Zimbabwe's preparation for the tournament has been a mixed bag. They went undefeated in the Africa Region Qualifier but only managed one win in November's tri-series against Pakistan and Sri Lanka. They also suffered a home whitewash against Afghanistan. However, the team is hopeful as they have a squad mostly under 30 years old, led by experienced players like Sikandar Raza, Brendan Taylor, and Graeme Cremer.
XIs
Here are the probable playing XIs
Oman (Probable XI): Jatinder Singh (c), Aamir Kaleem, Hammad Mirza, Wasim Ali, Karan Sonavale, Vinayak Shukla (wk), Jiten Ramanandi, Nadeem Khan, Shah Faisal, Shakeel Ahmad, Jay Odedra. Zimbabwe (Probable XI): Brian Bennett, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Dion Myers, Sikandar Raza (c), Ryan Burl, Tashinga Musekiwa, Brendan Taylor, Bradley Evans, Wellington Masakadza, Tony Munyonga, Richard Ngarava.
Player focus
Key players to watch out for
Oman's Aamir Kaleem, a versatile asset who scored a match-winning 80 off 47 balls against Sri Lanka in the warm-ups, could be key in Oman's giant-slaying ambitions. He has also taken 48 T20I wickets for Oman at 19.20 Having scored 936 runs at a strike rate of 147.86, Zimbabwe's Brian Bennett finished 2025 as the highest run-scorer in T20Is among players of full-member teams. Sikandar Raza has tallied the second-most Player-of-the-match awards in T20Is (19).