T20 World Cup 2026: AUS vs ZIM pitch report and Colombo Stadium key stats
Australia and Zimbabwe will play their first match against each other at the R Premadasa Stadium on Friday
Australia are face Zimbabwe in Match 19 of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo today, with both sides looking to build on winning starts to their campaigns.
Australia vs Zimbabwe T20 World Cup 2026: Playing 11 Australia playing 11: Travis Head(c), Josh Inglis(w), Cameron Green, Matt Renshaw, Glenn Maxwell, Tim David, Marcus Stoinis, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa, Matthew Kuhnemann Zimbabwe playing 11: Brian Bennett, Tadiwanashe Marumani(w), Dion Myers, Sikandar Raza(c), Ryan Burl, Tony Munyonga, Tashinga Musekiwa, Brad Evans, Wellington Masakadza, Graeme Cremer, Blessing Muzarabani
Check all the live updates of ICC T20 World Cup 2026 match 19 between Australia and Zimbabwe here Australia head into the contest with some concern over captain Mitchell Marsh’s fitness after he missed the victory over Ireland, but the squad showed its depth with a dominant all-round performance. The bowling unit, led by Nathan Ellis and Adam Zampa, will again be key, while the batting group will expect stronger contributions from Travis Head and Glenn Maxwell.
Zimbabwe, meanwhile, arrive full of confidence after a convincing win over Oman. Their pace trio of Blessing Muzarabani, Brad Evans and Richard Ngarava has been impressive, and Sikandar Raza’s all-round presence adds balance to the XI. With Brendan Taylor nursing a niggle and Ryan Burl waiting in the wings, Zimbabwe possess enough firepower to test Australia in what promises to be a competitive clash.
Australia vs Zimbabwe T20 World Cup 2026 R Premadasa Stadium pitch report
The weather in Colombo is expected to remain clear with no threat of rain. The pitch at R Premadasa Stadium proved to be slow and favourable for spin during the opening match between Australia and Zimbabwe. Australia’s victory while batting first broke an eight-match streak at this venue, where the chasing team had been dominant since 2021. The trend of chasing teams winning had been consistent until this match, making Australia's win while setting a total a significant development.
T20 World Cup 2026 AUS vs IRE: Head-to-head stats at R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
Australia and Zimbabwe will play their first match against each other at the R Premadasa Stadium on Friday. Before this, they played three games against each other, out of which Australia have won and Zimbabwe emerged victorious on one occasion.
Most recent T20I match at R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
The most recent T20I match played at the R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, was Match 14 of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 between Australia and Ireland.
Australia, batting first, posted 182 for 6. In reply, Ireland were bundled out for 115, handing Australia a big 67-run win.
R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo: Key T20I stats
Check all the live updates of ICC T20 World Cup 2026 match 19 between Australia and Zimbabwe here| R Premadasa Stadium key T20I stats | |
| Total Matches | 61 |
| Matches won batting first | 25 |
| Matches won bowling first | 35 |
| Average 1st innings Score | 142 |
| Average 2nd innings Score | 128 |
| Highest total recorded | 215/5 (19.4 Ovs) by BAN vs SL |
| Lowest total recorded | 80/10 (17.2 Ovs) by AFG vs ENG |
| Highest score chased | 215/5 (19.4 Ovs) by BAN vs SL |
| Lowest score defended | 115/6 (20 Ovs) by RSA vs SL |