Zimbabwe Stuns Sri Lanka, Enters T20 WC Super 8s Unbeaten Under Raza

The Zimbabwe captain, who was named Player of the Match following his decisive all-round effort at the R. Premadasa Stadium, revealed he trusted his rhythm even after a cautious start in the chase.

"When I walked out there, I thought the openers laid the foundation. And I think when Ryan Burl went out there as well, we tried to change the momentum. Unfortunately, he got out too. After the first eight balls, I said to myself, I've only got four or five runs, but I can see the ball, I'm middling the ball. So from then on, I backed myself that if I find a ball, I can middle it and hopefully it flies for the distance. And that's all it was," he said during the post-match presentation.

The Zimbabwe skipper explained that once he found momentum, he focused on calculated aggression to keep the chase under control, saying, "Once I connected one, then it was a matter of just keeping going. In my head, I was calculating, trying not to over-attack. We needed one over of 20 (runs), which we got. After that, it was about going at nines, followed by eights, followed by sixes. Ideally, I wanted to finish the game, but we'll take it."

He also reserved special praise for his batting partner Brian Bennett, highlighting the youngster's composure and maturity under pressure.

"I kept saying to Benny (Brian Bennett) that if you find a ball, hit it for a boundary. Otherwise, it's really important that you bat through. I felt like I'd let you down at the start, but I'm starting to find my rhythm, so just please hang in there. If you stay at one end, we can win the game from the other end. Credit to Benny, he keeps doing that role really well, and I think he's going to get better and better with every game. I can't wait to see this boy grow," he stated.

Raza reflected on Zimbabwe's unbeaten campaign with pride but admitted his mindset is always focused on what lies ahead.

"I'm pretty excited about how Zimbabwe has gone about its business. Every time we've played a game, we've won, and we're unbeaten so far. For me, it's always the next game that comes into my head. As much as I want to enjoy the victory and all that, my mind keeps drifting forward, and sometimes I struggle to bring myself back. But I think it's a nice position to be in as a captain. I'll try to enjoy tonight at least, but let's see how it goes. It's a nice position to be in as a captain. I'll try to enjoy tonight at least, but let's see how it goes," Raza added.

Despite the success, Raza stressed that Zimbabwe remain focused on improvement and sustaining their momentum.

"It can always get better. We can win the first game of the Super Eight -- it always can get better. We keep our sights forward. But if I bring myself to the present, the effort the boys have shown over the last two weeks, I don't think anybody gave us a chance to be where we are. So win people's hearts and earn their respect, it's a wonderful position to be in," he noted.

He also made it clear that Zimbabwe's mindset remains unchanged regardless of match situations, including the toss, saying, "When we lost the toss, all I said to my boys was: If we are truly playing good cricket, why should the toss play such a huge part in our mindset? If we're playing good cricket, it is what it is."

Raza credited Zimbabwe's tactical clarity and preparation for their ability to adapt during tense moments, as he said, "I'm really happy. I think that's because, firstly, we've trained for every situation. When you're chasing, everything is on the board anyway. And we've got the right personnel to send in at the right time. We actually changed our batting order about four times during the chase."

With Zimbabwe now firmly establishing themselves as one of the tournament's surprise packages, Raza reiterated the belief driving their campaign. "But just to get there unbeaten is something we can hold our heads high about. And if we can win two out of those three games, then you never know. As I keep saying - everybody loves an underdog story," he concluded.

- IANS