- By Namrata Vijay
- Wed, 18 Feb 2026 04:01 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
ZIM vs IRE T20 World Cup 2026: One of the most brilliant things about time and luck is that it changes. Just when everyone thought that it was all over, a miracle happens, and it surprises you in ways you never thought would happen. Sikandar Raza might agree with this notion.
Way back in 2023, he was Zimbabwe's skipper when they lost to Uganda by five wickets, and that led to them failing to qualify for the 2024 T20 World Cup. This was his only chance to give glory to the team in world cricket. He also suffered a personal loss just a few months before the mega event, as his younger brother had died in December 2023. And then life gave him a beautiful chance which no one saw coming.
Post losing to Uganda after 27 months, Raza had his own share of personal triumph as he was seen celebrating with the fans post the match against Ireland on Tuesday. And why shouldn't he? After failing to qualify for this tournament in 2024, Zimbabwe had performed brilliantly before qualifying for the Super 8 and changed their sadness into happiness.
View this post on Instagram
Raza will be 40 after three months. But he still is young at heart, and his passion for the game is still the same as he continues to lead Zimbabwe across formats. A lot of players, after turning 35, do think of retirement, but for Raza, this is a new lease of life.
His career has grown in ways that many thought would be impossible, and he has set an example for the whole team at the top level by batting aggressively, displaying brilliant captaincy skills, and demonstrating his determination, which has lifted the whole team.
LUCK FAVOURS THE BRAVE
Zimbabwe qualified for the Super 8s when their match against Ireland was washed out owing to incessant rain. A lot of people will say that they were lucky, as rain did them a favour, as teams like Ireland and Sri Lanka could have defeated them. Indeed, luck did help them.
But the question is, were they brave? They were more than brave. They had been put in a group that had teams like Sri Lanka and Australia, who were considered the favourites to reach the next round.
But it was Zimbabwe who had qualified for the Super 8 with one match remaining. They showed more than bravery as they were aggressive. They had a flying start to their campaign as they defeated Oman by eight wickets, but their match against Australia gave them all the attention they had asked for.
They had beaten the former champions and brought back memories of their historic victory against the same opponent in 2007 at Cape Town. They had hammered Australia so brilliantly that they were knocked out of the race to the Super 8s.
Sikandar Raza played an important role in Zimbabwe's win against Australia. The captain led the team from the front by scoring a quickfire knock of 25 runs. He had also smashed a six on the last ball of Nathan Ellis's over.
The stats might not prove much about Sikandar Raza's performance in the ongoing mega event, as he has scored just 30 runs and taken two wickets after playing in two matches till now. But he rose to the occasion when the team needed him the most and has always guided and motivated the side.
FEEL SORRY OR GET UP
Zimbabwe's journey to the ongoing mega event wasn't easy. They first faced Kenya in the Sub-regional Africa qualifier, became the table toppers, and proved their worth. After that, they played the Africa regional qualifiers, where they played against tough opponents in each match. After reaching the summit clash, they were able to qualify for the 2026 T20 World Cup, a moment that turned their sadness into happiness and also helped them return to world cricket.
Sikandar Raza was one of the main reasons why all of this could happen. He talked about sitting down with the whole team and setting a clear plan that either they should think about their setbacks or bounce back and try to chase their goal by giving in their everything.
“I remember sitting down with the squad and said either we feel sorry for ourselves and be ashamed or actually understand the reality and the reality is it is because of us we are in this mess and it's only us who can get it out so either we all get together and work towards a singular goal which is to win this tournament win the qualifiers get to the World Cup and then write our own history and story,” he said.
JOB NOT DONE YET
Although much of the attention was on Zimbabwe's qualification for the Super 8, Raza doesn't want to go overboard with the celebrations. He is well aware of all the challenges they will face ahead and knows for a fact that there is a bigger title waiting for them. By setting their goals perfectly, they are focused on what really matters.