Mumbai: West Indies delivered a commanding performance to defeat Zimbabwe by 107 runs in their Super 8 clash at the Wankhede Stadium.
After winning the toss, Zimbabwe opted to field first—a decision that proved costly as the Caribbean side unleashed a batting onslaught.
West Indies piled up 254/6 in their allotted 20 overs, smashing 19 sixes and 16 fours. It is the second-highest total in T20 World Cup history, behind Sri Lanka’s 260 against Kenya in the inaugural 2007 edition.
Shimron Hetmyer led the charge with a blistering 85 off 34 balls, including seven sixes and seven fours. He brought up his half-century in just 19 deliveries—the fastest for West Indies in T20 World Cup history—surpassing Chris Gayle’s previous 23-ball record set in 2009 against Australia.
Romario Powell contributed 59 off 29 balls, while Sherfane Rutherford added 31. For Zimbabwe, Blessing Muzarabani and Richard Ngarava claimed two wickets each.
Chasing 255, Zimbabwe struggled from the outset and were bowled out for 147 in the 18th over. Brad Evans top-scored with 43, hitting five sixes, while Dion Myers made 28 and captain Sikandar Raza scored 27.
For West Indies, Gudakesh Motie picked up four wickets and Akeal Hosein claimed three, sealing a comprehensive victory.
While Hetmyer now holds West Indies’ fastest T20 World Cup fifty record, the overall fastest T20I half-century remains with Yuvraj Singh, who smashed a 12-ball fifty against England in the 2007 tournament.
