Zimbabwe and Namibia have earned their places in the next ICC Men’s T20I World Cup, which will take place in India and Sri Lanka in early 2026. Both teams qualified by making it to the semifinals of the Africa Regional Final held in Harare on Thursday. This return is great news for Zimbabwe fans, especially after the team missed the 2024 tournament.
In the second semi-final, Zimbabwe beat Kenya by seven wickets. After Kenya chose to bat, Rakep Patel scored an impressive 65 runs, but the rest of his team struggled. Zimbabwe’s bowlers kept the target low.
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Chasing just 123, the ‘Chevrons’ finished the game quickly. Opener Brian Bennett was the star, smashing a rapid 51 runs off only 25 balls, including six fours in one over, to secure Zimbabwe’s spot in the big tournament.
Earlier, Namibia also qualified with a strong win against Tanzania. Even though they lost four early wickets, experienced players JJ Smit (61 not out) and Gerhard Erasmus (55) put together a key partnership.
Smit then performed well with the ball, taking 3/16 to stop Tanzania from chasing the score. Namibia has now qualified for the last four T20I World Cups in a row.
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With these results from Africa, the lineup for the 2026 T20I World Cup is nearly complete. There are only three spots left to be decided in the Asia-EAP Qualifier. For Zimbabwe, this successful qualification is a promising step back onto the world stage.