New Zealand was victorious in both Tests, winning both matches easily thanks to a formidable pace attack led by Matt Henry, Tim Southee, and Trent Boult that caused serious havoc for Zimbabwe’s batting lineup.
In the inaugural Test in Bulawayo, seamers took full advantage of variable bounce and slow conditions to flourish with variable bounce, while spinners such as Blessing Muzarabani and Amelia Kerr also excelled.
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| No. | Date | Format | Venue | Result | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2023 | ODI | Harare | New Zealand won | 8 wickets |
| 2 | 2023 | ODI | Harare | New Zealand won | 7 wickets |
| 3 | 2023 | ODI | Harare | New Zealand won | 5 wickets |
| 4 | 2022 | T20I | Brisbane (T20 WC) | New Zealand won | 3 runs |
| 5 | 2022 | ODI | Napier | New Zealand won | 5 wickets |
| 6 | 2022 | ODI | Nelson | New Zealand won | 8 wickets |
| 7 | 2022 | ODI | Napier | New Zealand won | 7 wickets |
| 8 | 2015 | ODI | Nelson (World Cup) | New Zealand won | 6 wickets |
| 9 | 2012 | T20I | Harare | New Zealand won | 34 runs |
| 10 | 2011 | Test | Bulawayo | New Zealand won | innings & 301 runs |
Zimbabwe vs New Zealand
An intense rivalry is essential to any sport’s success, and Zimbabwe vs New Zealand stands as one of the fiercest cricket rivalries worldwide. Beginning in 1992 across all formats, both sides have shown incredible determination. From Heath Streak’s 1997 heroics to Devon Conway’s 2025 triple century, fans have witnessed many unforgettable moments thanks to this intense rivalry.
New Zealand has long held the upper hand in this rivalry, winning most games between them. Zimbabwe, however, has shown steady improvements towards becoming one of the leading Test nations again, by emphasizing youth development programs and producing fast bowlers and aggressive batters capable of competing under any condition. Zimbabwe must work to retain their best players to avoid another exodus such as occurred during their decline during the 2000s.
In one-day internationals (ODIs), Zimbabwe’s success against New Zealand has been much closer. They won 10 out of 49 ODIs between them and achieved an unexpected series victory at Harare in 2021, led by Sikandar Raza’s amazing individual innings against New Zealand which included his record score of 117* that year – one of many impressive individual innings from that decade! However, New Zealand possess strong squad depth and have established domestic systems to prepare players for international cricket so are generally dominant opponents during ODI matches against Zimbabwe.
New Zealand and Zimbabwe met for two Test matches between July and August 2016, with New Zealand winning both games, with Zimbabwe failing to score more than 200 runs in either match. Zakary Foulkes excelled with the ball – finishing his debut Test innings with 9/75 – the highest ever figures by any debutant bowler! This victory marked New Zealand’s biggest triumph over Zimbabwe ever seen and their greatest defeat.
New Zealand defeated Zimbabwe by an innings and 359 runs in a T20I tri-series in October 2025, led by Colin de Grandhomme’s impressive score of 171, supported by other batsmen and bowlers who contributed wickets regularly.
History
Zimbabwe and New Zealand first clashed during the early years of cricket between them, where New Zealand proved superior due to its stronger team structure and greater international experience. But Zimbabwe gradually improved and by mid 2000’s had become competitive against New Zealand in limited-overs formats – sparking off an intense rivalry.
Zimbabwe first defeated New Zealand in a Test match at Harare in 1992, and went on to record three straight series victories over them at home – three 3-0 wins over them in 1997 and then one-and-a-half 1-0 victories from 2000-01 – marking an era of success for Zimbabwe cricket, becoming an admirable one-day side and earning global praise for their exceptional fielding skills.
Operation Murambatsvina proved disruptive of Zimbabwean team’s performances; players often wore black armbands when touring overseas in a show of mourning for democracy’s death in Zimbabwe. Andy Flower and Henry Olonga even sought asylum abroad to avoid playing for their national team again.
By 2004, Zimbabwean cricket had several top-level players such as Heath Streak and Steve Rhodes; however, political tension in their home nation continued to hinder performance on the pitch. Players protested this situation with black armbands during 2007 ICC World Cup games as protest, refusing to speak with media and refusing to wear armbands during matches; in response, board banned them from Test cricket altogether and instead encouraged ODI and T20I matches, where they showcased some promising performances.
Zimbabwe was within striking distance of qualifying for the 2023 ICC World Cup main tournament at its qualifying round, yet losses to Sri Lanka and Scotland prevented their advancement to the main competition.
Zimbabwe delivered an upset in their opening match of the 2014 ICC World Twenty20 against Australia by beating them by five wickets. Brendan Taylor led Zimbabwe with an exceptional display, including first-class wicket keeping (including catch, stumping and run out), unbeaten 60 from 45 deliveries as well as being named Man of the Match. Unfortunately for them however, Zimbabwe went on to lose against England shortly afterwards, meaning they exited early from competition.
Prediction
New Zealand and Zimbabwe have competed 38 times in One Day Internationals (ODIs), with New Zealand winning 27 of them and Zimbabwe nine. Their first meeting took place shortly after Zimbabwe received full member status from the ICC; both teams displayed promising young talent at that initial match; since then, both have enjoyed an intense rivalry that spans 30 years, featuring stunning performances as well as surprising upsets.
This match, held at Mumbai’s iconic Wankhede Stadium, could prove crucial as both teams vie for a semi-final spot. Zimbabwe has been one of the surprises in this tournament so far, having upstaged heavyweights Australia and Sri Lanka during their group stage matches by playing fearless cricket. Their success speaks volumes about their excellent bowling and disciplined batting from players such as Sikandar Raza, Brian Bennett, Sherfane Rutherford and Blessing Muzarabani – players that may prove instrumental against Windies chances against them.
Although their performance has been outstanding, Zimbabwe National Cricket Team has recently been beset by injuries to key players. As a result, several may miss their match against Windies who have been playing exceptionally well of late. With captain Tom Latham’s absence particularly hurtful for New Zealand; however Shamar Joseph and co are more than capable to handle pressure situations effectively.
West Indies remain undefeated in this tournament and stand an excellent chance of claiming victory against Zimbabwe’s fierce opponent, Shimron Hetmyer and Shai Hope will lead their side with confidence as they look to make a statement in what promises to be an entertaining contest.
Zimbabwe and New Zealand’s history in ODI cricket has generally been one-sided, as New Zealand’s depth and consistency with their bat has always given them an advantage over Zimbabwe’s struggling African side. Yet some recent matches between these teams have been competitive; notable performances on both sides included Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra and Henry Nicholls slamming tons during New Zealand’s innings win in 2021 resoundingly cemented that success.
