ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, Match 38: SL vs ZIM, head-to-head, pitch report and predicted playing XIs

Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe will meet in Match 38 of ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 on Thursday, 19th February at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. Both sides have already made it through to the Super Eight and are undefeated.

Sri Lanka have been performing outstandingly in the group stage. In their last match, they chased down 183 runs against Australia quite easily. Pathum Nissanka scored an outstanding unbeaten century, while Kusal Mendis continued his good run with another half-century. Their bowlers have also performed when it mattered the most, making them one of the most balanced sides in the tournament.

Zimbabwe have also impressed everyone with their performances. Their major win over Australia helped them in qualifying for the next stage. Brian Bennett led the batting effort in that match, and the bowlers, especially Blessing Muzarabani and Brad Evans, were excellent in defending the total. Zimbabwe will be confident heading into this final group game.

SL vs ZIM: Head-to-Head in T20Is

Matches Played: 18
Sri Lanka Won: 8
Zimbabwe Won: 8
Tied: 0
No Result: 2

SL vs ZIM: Pitch Report

The pitch at R. Premadasa Stadium has been good for batting in this series. Teams are putting up competitive scores, as batsmen are getting runs easily and bowlers are taking wickets in the third to fifteenth over. Fast bowlers get good bounce early in the innings. As the match goes on, the pitch becomes flatter and better for batting. The average first innings score here is around 165 runs.

SL vs ZIM: Predicted Playing XIs

Sri Lanka (SL):

Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara, Kusal Mendis (wk), Dasun Shanaka (c), Kamindu Mendis, Pavan Rathnayake, Dushan Hemantha, Dunith Wellalage, Dushmantha Chameera, Maheesh Theekshana, Matheesha Pathirana

Zimbabwe (ZIM):

Brian Bennett, Ryan Burl, Sikandar Raza (c), T Marumani (wk), Dion Myers, Tony Munyonga, Tashinga Musekiwa, Brad Evans, Blessing Muzarabani, Wellington Masakadza, Graeme Cremer