Blessing Muzarabani Tops Elite T20 World Cup List With Clinical Spell In AUS Vs ZIM

Muzarabani scripts history vs Australia [Source: AFP]

On Friday, Zimbabwe created history in the T20 World Cup as they remained undefeated against the Australian team in the marquee tournament and once again thrashed them to have one foot in the Super 8’s. Despite having a depleted side, Australia was expected to win against the Zimbabwean team, but the opposite happened.

Blessing Muzarabani was the star of the show as the lanky pacer ran riot with the ball and dismantled the Australian batters to script a famous win for his side.

Muzarabani creates history vs Australia

The champion seamer was unplayable as he took 4 wickets, and in the process, etched his name in the T20 World Cup history books. The pacer bagged 4 for 17 in Colombo, and this was the best bowling figures by a Zimbabwe bowler in T20 World Cups.

The previous best was Wellington Masakadza, who bagged 4 for 28 against Scotland in the 2016 season.

• Muzarabani has crossed Masakadza in this elite list as his sensational spell destroyed the Australian batting lineup. His wickets were Josh Inglis, Tim David, Matt Renshaw, and Adam Zampa. Out of the four wickets, Renshaw’s wicket was the key as the player had scored 65 and was Australia’s lone warrior.
• Elton Chigumbura, the legendary Zimbabwean player occupies the third spot as the bowler rattled England with 4 wickets in the inaugural edition of the T20 World Cup.
• Tinashe Panyangara is fourth on the list with figures of 4 for 37 against the Irish side in the 2014 edition in Bangladesh.

Other records broken by Muzarabani

• Not only registering the best bowling figures in T20 World Cups, but the Zimbabwean pacer also attained another huge century milestone during the course of his magical spell. With 4 wickets in the bag, the seamer became the third bowler from his nation to take 100 wickets in T20Is.
• The first two in the list are Richard Ngarava (111 wickets), and Sikandar Raza (103 wickets), and now, Muzarabani has entered the 100-wicket club as well from his team.
• Also, this was the second-best bowling figures against the Aussies in the T20 World Cup. R Ashwin, the former Indian spinner, had taken 4 for 11 against them in the 2014 edition.
• The right-arm pacer now occupies the second spot, and Afghanistan bowler, Gulbadin Naib stays at the third position with figures of 4/20 in the 2024 T20 World Cup.

Muzarabani takes Zimbabwe on the brink of Super 8

Zimbabwe had won their first game of the tournament against Oman convincingly, but they had a tricky Australian game in front of them. On a tricky wicket, the Chevrons posted 169/2, and that was enough to seal a 23-run win in Colombo.

Muzarabani started the attack against Australian batters and he was simply unplayable as the pacer picked wickets at regular intervals, and he also stopped the flow of runs as the Australian team was under severe pressure and they lost the match.

With two out of two, Zimbabwe has one foot in the next round, and they only have to win one of their remaining two games to enter the Super 8.