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Zimbabwe Stuns Australia in T20 WC Upset, Head Admits Power-Play Pressure

Zimbabwe secured a stunning 23-run victory over Australia in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, marking a historic upset. Australian captain Travis Head acknowledged his team put themselves under significant pressure by losing early wickets in the power-play. Despite the setback and injuries to key bowlers, Head expressed confidence in the team's experience, referencing their ability to navigate similar pressure in the 2023 ODI World Cup. The result reshuffles Group B, pushing Zimbabwe to second place and dropping Australia to third.

Key Points: Australia's T20 WC Defeat to Zimbabwe: Travis Head Analysis

  • Zimbabwe pulls off major T20 WC upset
  • Early wickets put Australia under pressure
  • Head draws on 2023 WC experience
  • Australia slips to third in Group B
  • Injuries to key bowlers a factor
2 min read

T20 WC: Travis Head on Australia's defeat, says "we put ourselves under pressure after losing wickets in power play"

Australia captain Travis Head reflects on the 23-run loss to Zimbabwe, citing early wickets and pressure. Zimbabwe's historic upset shakes up Group B.

"We put ourselves under pressure, obviously losing wickets in the power play. - Travis Head"

Colombo, February 13

After a dramatic loss to Zimbabwe in the group stage match in the ongoing ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 at R. Premdasa Stadium in Colombo on Friday, Australia's captain, Travis Head, acknowledged that his side was under pressure after losing early wickets in the power-play.

Zimbabwe pulled off the biggest upset of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, defeating the mighty Australia by 23 runs.

Speaking at the post-match presentation, Head admitted the loss was disappointing but said they had been in similar situations before, for instance, at the Men's ODI World Cup 2023. Despite the Australian team suffering from injuries, with speedsters Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins out of the tournament, Head expressed confidence in the team's experience and said they would stick to the blueprint to win the remaining two games.

"The feedback throughout was that it was a good wicket. We put ourselves under pressure, obviously losing wickets in the power play. And like I said, put some pressure, and the scoreboard rate went up. We, I guess, found a partnership through the middle, but probably left ourselves a little bit too many, and that happens," Head said after the match.

"So, it's disappointing, but that's the game. We've been here before. We said at the toss a little bit about having injuries and working through tournament play, which is typical. And we're seeing a lot of tight games. All the teams are very good. And yeah, we've found ourselves in this position before. We had a few guys in that dressing room who were here in India in 2023 (WC) that navigated through that, and we ended up on the right side of it. So, we'll go back to the blueprint of that to keep as much confidence in the dressing room as possible and two more games to win," he added.

This is the second time that the African nation has beaten Australia in a T20 World Cup match. The first was when Australia lost their group stage match against Zimbabwe in the 2007 edition.

After this win, Zimbabwe moved into second place in Group B, while Australia slipped down to third place with only one win. Sri Lanka is at the top with a couple of wins.

Now, Zimbabwe will take on Ireland in their next group-stage match on Tuesday, while Australia will face Sri Lanka on Monday.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
Head is right to point to the powerplay. Losing wickets with the field up is a tournament killer. Australia missing Cummins and Hazlewood is huge, but their batting should have still chased that down. Credit to Zimbabwe's bowlers!
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Arjun K
As an Indian fan, I have to say... seeing Australia lose is always a good feeling! 😄 But seriously, this makes Group B so interesting now. Sri Lanka on top, and Australia in trouble. Monday's match against SL is a virtual quarter-final.
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Priyanka N
Respectful criticism: Head's "we've been here before" attitude is a double-edged sword. Yes, they came back in 2023, but you can't rely on past comebacks. They need fresh energy and strategy, not just the old blueprint. The game has evolved.
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Vikram M
Zimbabwe beating Australia again after 2007! History repeats. This shows the growing depth in world cricket. Associate nations are no longer pushovers. Great for the sport. 🇿🇼
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Michael C
The pressure of the required rate after a slow start is a classic T20 trap. Australia fell right into it. They needed someone to play a Head-like innings from the 2023 WC final, but it never came. SL vs Aus is now must-watch.

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