West Indies Vs Zimbabwe: Windies Crush Zimbabwe by 107 Runs in Mumbai to Open Super 8 With Fifth Straight Win
The Super 8 stage got off to a one-sided start as West Indies beat Zimbabwe by 107 runs in Mumbai, handing the Windies their fifth victory from five matches in this tournament. West Indies Vs Zimbabwe was notable for a huge Windies total and strong bowling that shut Zimbabwe down well before the allotted overs.
West Indies Vs Zimbabwe — Match summary
West Indies posted 254-6, the second-highest total in T20 World Cups, setting an imposing target that Zimbabwe could not match. Zimbabwe were dismissed for 147 inside 18 overs, which left a 107-run margin in favour of the Windies and propelled West Indies to the top of Group 1 on net run-rate.
Batting fireworks: Hetmyer and Powell power Windies
Shimron Hetmyer produced a headline-making performance, racing to a fifty off 19 balls on his way to a 85-run innings from 34 deliveries. Nicholas Powell also played a major role, contributing 59 from 35 balls. Those two innings were the backbone of the 254-6 total that became the second-highest in the competition’s history.
Bowling and wickets: Motie and Hosein star
Windies bowlers finished the job after the big total. Gudakesh Motie produced figures of 4-28, and Akeal Hosein chipped in with 3-28 to see Zimbabwe bowled out for 147 in 17. 4 overs. For Zimbabwe, Richard Evans top-scored with 43 from 21 deliveries but there was insufficient support around that innings.
Captains' reactions and key observations
West Indies captain Shai Hope described delight at the batting display, saying the team enjoyed the innings and that contributions across the lineup created a high run tally. He was surprised by the amount of spin on offer given the relatively tougher surface and highlighted how the spinners were able to make an impact late in the innings. On Gudakesh Motie, Hope praised Motie’s return after time away from the game, noting Motie had used that period to work on his craft and was now contributing strongly.
Zimbabwe captain Sikander Raza framed the defeat as a learning opportunity. He outlined a plan to "go for an extra" in the next match and said the team would see how it goes, adding that dwelling on venues would not help learning from the game. Raza stressed the importance of taking something from the result, said it was nice to play in the location, and stated that to progress Zimbabwe must perform at their best at any venue, whether in India or in Sri Lanka. On the prospect of facing India in Chennai, he said that despite the bruises from this defeat, Zimbabwe would still look to win and produce a strong performance; he noted that two teams had lost two games and so both had something to prove.
Context, reaction and what to follow next
Commentary around the game called it "an absolute cracker" and invited readers to relive the match through Timothy Abraham's match report. Observers highlighted that Shimron Hetmyer's innings was a standout with the bat and that Gudakesh Motie deserved plaudits for his exploits with the ball. An editorial aside reflected on an earlier prediction of an England vs Zimbabwe final and conceded that, in retrospect, that outcome now seems unlikely.
Fans were encouraged to have their say using the 'Get Involved' button on the match page. Coverage teams also reminded readers to return for the next day's fixture between England and Pakistan, with live text coverage scheduled to begin at 13: 00 GMT.
Implications for the Super 8 stage
The emphatic West Indies win to open the Super 8 stage — their fifth straight victory in this tournament — places them in a strong position in Group 1 by net run-rate. Zimbabwe must regroup quickly if they are to recover from this heavy defeat and the bruises noted by their captain, while West Indies will look to build on the momentum provided by big batting performances and incisive spin bowling as the Super 8 fixtures continue.
