West Indies Cricket Team vs Zimbabwe National Cricket Team Match: West Indies head coach Darren Sammy said his team will treat Zimbabwe with the same respect as India or Australia when they open their Super 8 campaign in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 on Monday, February 23, 2026. West Indies will face Zimbabwe national cricket team at the Wankhede Stadium. Both teams entered the Super 8 stage unbeaten in the group phase.
Zimbabwe topped Group B after stunning Australia and Sri Lanka, while West Indies finished first in their preliminary group.
Sammy, who captained West Indies to T20 World Cup titles in 2012 and 2016, said every team at this stage deserves respect.
“Who said Zimbabwe is not supposed to be here? A lot of people say the West Indies is not supposed to be here either. When you’re in a World Cup, you’ve got to respect every opposition,” Sammy told reporters on Sunday.
He said the team will approach the match like any high-profile clash.
“Tomorrow we approach it the same way as we would approach a game against India, Australia or whoever. They are very confident and playing good cricket. In T20, there is no clear-cut winner. You’ve got to execute your plans on the day,” he said.
West Indies received a boost ahead of the match with all-rounder Romario Shepherd declared fit. Shepherd had missed the last group game due to injury but impressed earlier in the tournament with a five-wicket haul, including a hat-trick, against Scotland.
“He practised well and bowled quite well. The good thing is everybody is available for selection going into the Super 8,” Sammy said.
On Zimbabwe’s tall pacer Blessing Muzarabani, Sammy described him as an X factor but said West Indies plan for every opposition player.
“We plan for every single player. He’s an X factor. We know the threat they bring, but we also know what we have to do,” he said.
Sammy also praised the performance of Associate teams in the expanded 20-team tournament, saying it showed the growth of the game in the shorter format.
“Everybody in our group won a game. The associate teams have really pushed the full members. It shows the game is growing,” he said.
He credited Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza for leading from the front and said his side would focus on its own performance rather than any perceived home advantage at the Mumbai venue.
“What we did here before bears no bearing on tomorrow. It’s a new opposition on a different day. We’ve just got to assess and deliver well,” Sammy said.
The winner of Monday’s clash will gain early momentum in the Super 8 stage, with tougher fixtures against India and South Africa to follow.