Zimbabwe roar back after 2024 heartbreak, seal T20 World Cup 2026 spot

The Zimbabwe National Cricket Team have roared back after missing out on the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024, which was co-hosted by the West Indies and the United States of America.

Sikandar Raza-led Zimbabwe National Cricket Team have qualified for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, which will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka in 2026.

Zimbabwe seal a T20 World Cup 2026 spot

The Chevrons were unable to make it to the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 after a disastrous campaign in the Africa Qualifier, where they suffered defeats to Namibia and Uganda despite having a star-studded line-up.

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Their absence from the 2024 tournament was seen as a blow to both the team and their passionate fan base; however, now they have finally bounced back from the setback.

Zimbabwe have qualified for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 alongside Namibia, who are set to play their fourth World Cup on the trot. The Chevrons locked horns with Kenya in the second semi-final at the Harare Sports Club, Harare.

Bowling first in the match, they managed to restrict the opposition to 122-6 as the bowlers did a great job. While chasing the target, Brian Bennett slammed a brilliant half-century, and other batters chipped in with crucial runs as the match got finished in 15 overs. With this win, the Chevrons booked a spot in next year’s marquee tournament in India and Sri Lanka.

Namibia book a spot in ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026

Earlier in the day, Namibia qualified for the T20 World Cup 2026 with the help of a semi-final victory at the Africa Regional Final in Harare on Thursday.

Namibia registered a dominant 63-run victory over Tanzania as JJ Smit and Gerhard Erasmus shone in the game.

With the two recent results, only three spots are remaining for the next year's T20 World Cup. Those three teams will be decided from the Asia-EAP Qualifier. Notably, the competition is set to be played in February-March next year.

Also Read: Watch: Pakistan captain shamelessly politicizes Women’s World Cup with “Azad Kashmir” remark amid Asia Cup row

Zimbabwe to host Afghanistan soon

In another major news regarding Zimbabwe, the Chevrons are all set to host the Afghanistan National Cricket Team for Test and T20I matches in October-November.

Afghanistan will lock horns with Zimbabwe for a one-off Test and three T20Is, with the red-ball match being played from October 20 and the three T20Is being played on October 29, October 31, and November 2.

Notably, it will be the second time in less than a year that the Zimbabwe National Cricket Team will be hosting the Afghanistan National Cricket Team. Earlier, they hosted Afghanistan 10 months ago for a full-fledged series.

"We are delighted to be hosting Afghanistan once again, this time for a one-off Test followed by three T20Is in Harare," ZC Managing Director Givemore Makoni said. "Encounters between Zimbabwe and Afghanistan have become keenly contested and entertaining, and we are confident this upcoming tour will deliver more of the same for our fans."

Full Schedule

One-off Test - October 20-24

1st T20I - October 29

2nd T20I - October 31

3rd T20I - November 2