Marumani and Burl’s Contributions Set Platform for Zimbabwe’s Historic T20 World Cup Win

Tadiwanashe Marumani’s 35 and Ryan Burl’s 35 provided crucial support to Brian Bennett’s unbeaten 64 as Zimbabwe defeated Australia by 23 runs in a historic T20 World Cup upset. The collective batting effort gave Zimbabwe a competitive total that their bowlers defended brilliantly.
Marumani opened the batting alongside Bennett and provided the aggressive intent in the early overs. His 35 runs came at a healthy strike rate, helping Zimbabwe establish a strong foundation. The opening partnership laid the groundwork for what would become a match-winning total of 169-2. Marcus Stoinis eventually dismissed Marumani, caught behind, but the damage was done—Zimbabwe had momentum and scoreboard pressure.
Ryan Burl’s contribution of 35 runs in the middle order ensured there was no collapse after Marumani’s dismissal. Burl rotated strike effectively with Bennett and found boundaries when opportunities presented themselves. His innings came to an end in dramatic fashion when Cameron Green dismissed him with his first delivery after Marcus Stoinis left the field injured. Ironically, Burl had just injured Stoinis by blasting a full toss straight back at the all-rounder’s hand.
The partnerships allowed Bennett to remain unbeaten throughout the innings, providing the anchor around which others could play. Zimbabwe restricted Australia to just four boundaries in the final four overs, showing excellent death bowling from Nathan Ellis and Adam Zampa’s perspective, though neither bowler took a wicket. The final total of 169-2 represented an excellent team batting performance.
Australia’s chase never got going, collapsing to 29 for 4 in the powerplay. Blessing Muzarabani claimed career-best figures of 4 for 17, dismissing Josh Inglis, Cameron Green, Tim David, and eventually Matthew Renshaw. Despite Renshaw’s heroic 65 and Glenn Maxwell’s 31, Australia fell short by 23 runs, handing Zimbabwe their first T20 World Cup victory over Australia since 2007.