Brian Bennett Shines Despite Zimbabwe's Exit from T20 World Cup
Zimbabwe's Journey in the T20 World Cup
Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], February 27: Although Zimbabwe has been eliminated from the T20 World Cup during the Super Eight stage, the team can take several positives from their performances, particularly the emergence of young talent Brian Bennett, which has been a highlight.
Following a 72-run defeat to India and a 107-run loss to the West Indies, Zimbabwe's exit from the tournament was confirmed. South Africa has advanced to the semifinals from their group, while India and West Indies are set to face off in a crucial match at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on March 1 to determine the second semifinalist. Despite the setbacks, the Sikandar Raza-led squad had a memorable run, achieving their best-ever performance in T20 World Cup history, including victories over former champions Australia and Sri Lanka.
In their match against India, Bennett showcased his talent by scoring an impressive 97* off 59 balls, hitting eight fours and six sixes at a strike rate of 164.41, forming a 72-run partnership with his captain. This score marks the highest total by a Zimbabwean player in T20 World Cup history, surpassing Raza's previous record of 82 against Ireland in the 2022 edition.
Bennett's 97* is also notable as the second-highest individual score against India in T20 World Cups, trailing only Chris Gayle's 98 scored in Bridgetown in 2010.
Making his World Cup debut, Bennett has had an outstanding tournament, accumulating 277 runs across five matches with an average of 277.00 and a strike rate exceeding 135. He has remained unbeaten four times and has scored three fifties, with this innings being his best. Currently, he ranks as the second-highest run-scorer in the tournament, just behind Pakistan's Sahibzada Farhan, who has 283 runs in five innings at an average of 70.75 and a strike rate of 158.10, including a century and two fifties.
In the match, India batted first, setting a record T20 World Cup total of 256/4, thanks to contributions from Abhishek Sharma (55 runs off 30 balls), Hardik Pandya (50* off 23 balls), and Tilak Varma (44* off 16 balls). Zimbabwe fought back valiantly, finishing with 184/6 in their 20 overs, led by Bennett's remarkable 97* and a quick 31 off 21 balls from captain Sikandar Raza. Arshdeep Singh was the standout bowler for India, taking 3 wickets for 24 runs.