ICC Men’s T20 WC 2026 | Match 8: Oman vs Zimbabwe | Preview and Predictions
The action at the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup continues, with Match 8 bringing a Group B affair as Oman take on Zimbabwe.
Here, we present our preview and predictions for the game.
ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 | Match 8: OMA vs ZIM | 15:00, February 9, 2026
Oman and Zimbabwe face off soon after playing a warm-up together, where Oman came out victorious.
Aamir Kaleem has been in good form off late. In him, captain Jatinder Singh, and Hammad Mirza, Oman have a settled and experienced top order. Their middle order’s form will be a cause for concern for the management, though, given it has struggled in both warm-up games.
With the ball, Nadeem Khan and Sufyan Mehmood have been among the wickets. On slow pitches, they will be key alongside the likes of Shah Faisal, Shakeel Ahmed, and Shafiq Jan.
Zimbabwe, on the other hand, come into the tournament with mixed results in their warm-up games, having beaten the Netherlands convincingly but having lost to Oman.
The Zimbabwean squad has a lot of experience and talent and boasts a strong batting line-up, which comprises the likes of Brendan Taylor, Brian Bennett, Ryan Burl, and Sikandar Raza.
Raza is leading the side and will be key with the ball as well, especially in Indian and Sri Lankan conditions. The likes of Richard Ngarava, Wellington Masakadza, and Brad Evans, meanwhile, will spearhead the bowling attack, with Blessing Muzarabani being one to watch out for given his recent form.
Slow bowlers and spinners will come into play in Colombo, with the two teams almost evenly matched on paper. There might not be a lot of runs on offer, but we expect a close game, one that Zimbabwe have a slight edge in given the amount of experience in their ranks.
Fantasy XI: Aamir Kaleem, Brendan Taylor (wk), Jatinder Singh, Sikandar Raza (c), Vinayak Shukla, Ryan Burl, Jay Odedra, Wellington Masakadza, Shah Faisal, Sufyan Mehmood, Blessing Muzarabani
Venue: Sinhalese Sports Club Ground, Colombo
Winners Prediction: Zimbabwe
