Zimbabwe beat Bangladesh by 32 runs in the series-opening T20I in Bulawayo on Wednesday, their biggest margin of victory over the Bangladeshis in the format, as Blessing Muzarabani and Richard Ngarava both claimed four-wicket hauls to bowl the tourists out for 138.
According to a fresh match report from ESPNcricinfo, Zimbabwe posted 170 for 6 after Bangladesh captain Towhid Hridoy won the toss and chose to field. Brian Bennett top-scored with 44 from 30 balls, while Ryan Burl finished unbeaten on 30 from 25 deliveries to power the hosts past 170.
Bangladesh Fall Short In Bulawayo Despite Yasir Ali’s Lone Fight
Set 171 to win, Bangladesh were bowled out for 138 in 19 overs despite a defiant 54 off 38 balls from Yasir Ali, who struck three sixes and two fours in a lone rearguard effort. No other Bangladesh batter passed 20, and the chase never recovered from the early inroads made by Muzarabani (4 for 17) and Ngarava, whose recall to the ODI squad ahead of this series was seen as adding fresh edge to Zimbabwe’s attack. Ngarava took the player-of-the-match award for figures of 4 for 26 in four overs.
Per Wisden’s records coverage, the result eclipses Zimbabwe’s previous best T20I margin over Bangladesh — a 31-run win in Khulna in 2016 — and marks only the second time in a men’s T20I against Bangladesh that two bowlers from one side have taken four-wicket hauls apiece, after Afghanistan’s Naveen-ul-Haq and Rashid Khan managed it in Kingstown in 2024.
The win continues a productive run for Zimbabwe’s pace attack, with Muzarabani central to the side’s biggest-ever Test win over the same opponents last month. Zimbabwe will look to seal the three-match series when the sides meet again in the second T20I in Bulawayo.
