Oman and Zimbabwe will play Match No. 8 of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground in Colombo on Monday, February 9.
Both teams are eager to kick-start their World Cup journey, and a victory here could give them a significant boost in the group stage.
Zimbabwe, captained by Sikandar Raza, enters the tournament following a mixed performance in warm-up matches. They faced a loss against Oman but quickly recovered with a win against the Netherlands, which has instilled some confidence in the team. Nevertheless, consistency is an issue they aim to address.
On the other hand, Oman appears to be in good form heading into this match. They displayed strong performances in their warm-up games, achieving convincing victories against Sri Lanka A and Nepal. This has elevated their confidence, and they feel ready to take on Zimbabwe. With both teams seeking a strong start, this match is expected to be closely contested.
ZIM vs OMA, T20 World Cup 2026: Match details
- Date and Time: February 9; 3:00 pm IST / 9:30 am GMT
- Venue: Sinhalese Sports Club, Colombo
ZIM vs OMA, Head-to-Head Record in T20Is
This match will mark the first meeting between these two teams in T20 Cricket.
Sinhalese Sports Club Pitch Report
The Sinhalese Sports Club Ground is known to favor spinners as the match progresses. Early in a T20 game, the pitch remains flat and offers good bounce, allowing batters to play freely. However, as the game advances, the pitch starts slowing down, making it difficult for teams batting later. Spinners can exploit the conditions by mixing their pace, increasing pressure on the batsmen.
Because of the pitch’s behavior, captains often prefer to bat first after winning the toss, aiming to set a challenging target before the conditions become tougher.
Squads
Zimbabwe: Brian Bennett, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Dion Myers, Brendan Taylor (wk), Sikandar Raza (c), Ryan Burl, Tashinga Musekiwa, Wellington Masakadza, Brad Evans, Tinotenda Maposa, Richard Ngarava, Blessing Muzarabani, Tony Munyonga, Clive Madande, Graeme Cremer
Oman: Jatinder Singh (c), Aamir Kaleem, Hammad Mirza, Wasim Ali, Karan Sonavale, Vinayak Shukla (wk), Jiten Ramanandi, Nadeem Khan, Sufyan Mehmood, Shakeel Ahmed, Shah Faisal, Mohammad Nadeem, Jay Odedra, Ashish Odedara, Shafiq Jan
ZIM vs OMA, T20 World Cup 2026: Today’s Match Prediction
Case 1:
- Zimbabwe wins the toss and bats first
- Zimbabwe’s powerplay score: 60-70 (6 overs)
- Zimbabwe’s total score: 170-180
Case 2:
- Oman wins the toss and bats first
- Oman’s powerplay score: 40-50 (6 overs)
- Oman’s total score: 155-165
Match result: Zimbabwe is predicted to win.
