T20 World Cup: Hetmyer's Majestic 85, Motie's 4-Wicket Haul Help Windies Thrash Zimbabwe By 107 In Super 8s

(MENAFN- IANS) Mumbai, Feb 23 (IANS) Shimron Hetmyer delivered a masterclass in power-hitting, smashing seven sixes and an equal number of fours in a majestic 34-ball 85, helping the West Indies cruise to a 107-run victory over a completely outclassed Zimbabwe in a Group 1 match during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 in Mumbai on Monday.

Hetmyer set off fireworks at Wankhede Stadium, leading the West Indies to a massive 254/6 in 20 overs — the highest team total by any team in the T20 World Cup 2026 and the second-highest in T20 World Cup history. Their victory margin of 107 runs is the largest in this tournament.

Hetmyer turned the West Indies’ effort into a one-man show, even though Rovman Powell’s 35-ball 59 and his excellent support in the third-wicket partnership of 122 runs were overshadowed by the mesmerizing performance of the 29-year-old from Guyana, who moved up from the middle order to No.2 in the batting lineup.

Zimbabwe found the target too steep to climb, and their fight was effectively over when they slumped to 20/3 in the third over. Skipper Sikander Raza, despite leaving the field for medical treatment after being hit by a shot from Powell, scored 27 off 20 balls, while Dion Myer added 28 off 15 balls (3x4, 2x6).

Brad Evans hit a few big shots in the death overs, smashing back-to-back sixes off Jason Holder and Shamar Joseph to score 43 off 21 balls (2x4, 5x6), but Zimbabwe was bowled out for 147 in 17.4 overs, suffering a massive defeat. The scoreboard pressure was too much for Zimbabwe, who had previously upset Australia and Sri Lanka in the league phase.

Gudekesh Motie bowled brilliantly, claiming his best figures of 4-28, while Akeal Hosein, who started Zimbabwe’s slide with 2-21, finished with 3-28, and Matthew Forde took 2-27 to complete the demolition.

This huge win boosted West Indies’ NRR to over 5, making India’s path to the semifinals even more challenging.

But the match belonged to Hetmyer, whose stunning assault significantly improved West Indies’ Net Run Rate ahead of key matches against South Africa and India. His big-hitting led to a record-breaking performance.

In scoring a majestic 34-ball 85, Hetmyer set several records: the fastest fifty by a West Indies batter in the T20 World Cup, the joint-most sixes in the tournament (17), the second-highest team total (254/6) in World Cup history in the 20-over format, and the biggest third-wicket partnership for West Indies.

Asked to bat first, Hetmyer blasted the fastest fifty by a West Indies player in the T20 World Cup, reaching the milestone in 19 balls, hitting four boundaries and five sixes, surpassing his own record for the fastest fifty by a West Indies batter in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

Earlier, Hetmyer scored a half-century in 22 balls against Scotland in the opening match of this World Cup at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, breaking the previous record of 23 balls set by Chris Gayle at The Oval in 2009.

Powell took a more measured approach, reaching his half-century in 29 balls, as the pair shared a massive 122-run third-wicket partnership, powering West Indies to the biggest total at Wankhede Stadium in this T20 World Cup.

Hetmyer came in after Brandon King was dismissed by Richard Ngarava, who returned to the playing XI after recovering from injury, in the third over, with West Indies at 17/1. Hetmyer formed a 37-run partnership with captain Shai Hope (14), who was caught in the deep by Brian Bennett off Brad Evans.

The 29-year-old left-hander from Guyana started slowly, enjoying two lives—dropped on either side of his fifty—and unleashed a series of mesmerizing shots that left Zimbabwe players stunned.

Hetmyer used the cut, sweep, and inside-out loft shots effectively, starting with a four off Ngarava in the third over and another off Blessings Muzarabani in the next. He was given a life when Tashinga Musekiwa grassed a straightforward catch at long leg on a swivel pull off Muzarabani.

At that point, Hetmyer was on 10 and soon launched a blitz, hitting Ngarava for back-to-back boundaries in the fifth over, then smashing sixes off successive balls from Graeme Cremer in the seventh over — the first a swipe across the line into the deep mid-wicket stand, the next over cow corner.

In the following over, he hammered Zimbabwe captain Sikander Raza for three sixes in four balls, as West Indies raced to 92/2 in the eighth over, reaching his half-century in 19 balls.

He continued in the same aggressive vein after his fifty, hitting Raza for the biggest six of the night — a 108-meter shot into cow corner — in the tenth over, followed by a four off the next delivery. He scored 33 runs off Raza in nine balls. He was dropped again at 72 when Musekiwa spilled a catch at long leg.

Powell joined the fun, hitting four fours and three sixes to reach his fifty in 29 balls. Their partnership crossed 100 runs in 45 balls. Just as Hetmyer looked set to reach his century, he was dismissed, mistiming a shot off Cramer and caught by Bennett for 85 off 34 balls, hitting seven fours and seven sixes. Powell soon followed, caught by Musekiwa off Muzaabani for 59 off 35 balls (4x4, 4x6).

With Hetmyer and Powell in top form, West Indies scored 139/2 in the middle overs — the second-highest team run total in this stage of a match, behind Sri Lanka’s 141/3 against Kenya in 2007.

Sherfane Rutherford (31 not out off 13 balls) and Jason Holder (13 off four balls), who struck Muzarabani for sixes off successive balls in the final over, helped West Indies post a massive total, leaving Zimbabwe with a huge challenge in the second innings.

Brief scores:

West Indies 254/6 in 20 overs (Shimron Hetmyer 85, Rovman Powell 59, Sherfane Rutherford 31 not out; Blessing Muzarabani 2-42, Richard Ngarava 2-47) beat Zimbabwe 147 all out in 17.4 overs (Brad Evans 43 not out; Gudakesh Motie 4-28, Akeal Hosein 3-28) by 107 runs