West Indies smash 254 in T20 World Cup 2026 Super Eights Clash against Zimbabwe
2026-02-23 - 15:53
ISLAMABAD – Cricket fans were treated to spectacle that felt like a batting earthquake as Super Eights stage of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 had barely begun when the West Indies cricket team unleashed an onslaught of boundaries and sixes. Windies piled up 254/6 after electing to bat first. What began as a shaky start turned into a batting masterclass as power hitters took charge and left the opposition gasping for breath. Opener Brandon King departed cheaply for just nine runs, sending early jitters through the West Indies camp. But the chaos didn’t last long. Enter Shimron Hetmyer and skipper Shai Hope, who stitched together a crucial 37-run stand to steady the ship. Hope’s brief but gritty 14-run knock ended in the powerplay, falling to the bowling of Brad Evans, yet the damage had already begun. The real storm arrived when explosive all-rounder Rovman Powell joined forces with Hetmyer. The duo smashed a jaw-dropping 122-run partnership off just 51 deliveries, dismantling the bowling attack and sending cricket balls sailing into the stands. Hetmyer blazed a sensational 85 off 34 balls—laced with seven towering sixes and seven boundaries—before falling to a clever delivery from Graeme Cremer. Powell continued the onslaught, hammering 59 off 35 balls with four sixes and four fours before being dismissed after mistiming a short ball from Blessing Muzarabani, only to be caught at deep square leg by Tashinga Musekiwa. But the brutality didn’t end there. Late cameos from Romario Shepherd (21) and Sherfane Rutherford (31 not out) ensured the scoreboard kept ticking at an intimidating pace. For Zimbabwe national cricket team, it was a night to forget. Captain Sikandar Raza’s decision to field first backfired spectacularly as his bowlers were torn apart by relentless hitting. Although Richard Ngarava and Blessing Muzarabani claimed two wickets apiece, and contributions came from Graeme Cremer and Brad Evans, the bowling unit had no answer to West Indies’ aggression. More updates to follow...