'We've got other goals to achieve' – Raza after Zimbabwe's Super Eights entry

Zimbabwe have officially advanced to the Super Eights of the Men's T20 World Cup 2026, a historic achievement for a side that overcame a challenging group featuring Australia and Sri Lanka.

Captain Sikandar Raza, while acknowledging the joyous mood, immediately shifted focus to the team's broader ambitions.

"When Zimbabwe set out, we didn't set a goal just to qualify," Raza stated. "We've got other goals to achieve. Yes, Super Eight is clearly a tick in the box, but it's certainly not the whole box. Everybody remains committed and focused on what's still ahead."

He emphasized a key objective for the squad: "One of the goals was to bring more recognition and respect to our country. This group has been together for a long time, working with honesty and integrity. To see people now taking notice of Zimbabwe in a respectful manner is very humbling. Hopefully we can keep writing our own history."

Raza traced this success back to a pivotal moment nearly two years ago, when the team had to play a sub-regional qualifier in Kenya. "I told the squad: the reality is it is because of us we are in this mess. And only we can get ourselves out of it. We laid down a plan, trusted each other, and created a better culture. To see the result after almost two years is certainly very pleasing."

Despite the euphoria, Raza is already looking to the immediate challenge. "The boys are enjoying it, rightly so, but we've got another game in less than 48 hours. We'll have a little celebration, but once we leave, our focus will shift pretty quickly."

Looking beyond their final group game against Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe face a hectic travel schedule with matches against West Indies, India, and South Africa. Raza, however, is not looking that far ahead.

"The only game I'm looking forward to is Sri Lanka in two days' time. After that, we'll look at what's to come. We've made sure we only look at one game at a time and that has served us really well," he concluded.