T20 World Cup 2026: 3 underrated stars who took the group stage by storm

The group stage of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 has come to an end, and the tournament now moves into its Super Eight phase. Over the past few weeks, fans witnessed exciting games across venues in India and Sri Lanka.

While some results were expected, a few surprises grabbed headlines. With qualification spots sealed, eight teams remain in the hunt for the title. In the next round, they will be split into two groups of four, starting afresh with a clean slate as the points will not be carried forward. Each team will play three matches, with the top two from both groups advancing to the semi-finals. 

However, during the group stage, there were a few players who were lesser known ahead of the marquee event, but their performances became the talking point. While some efforts handed their team qualification to the next round, others ended in individual brilliance.

Here are the 3 Underrated stars who stunned everyone in group stage

3. Blessing Muzarabani

Zimbabwe has emerged as the dark horse of the T20 World Cup 2026, with its wins built on all-around brilliance. While the batters stepped up in crucial moments, Muzarabani led the attack with the ball. The tall pacer has picked up nine wickets in just three matches at an average of 7.88 and an economy rate of 5.91.

Muzarabani’s spell of 4/17 against Australia in Colombo helped the team clinch a historic win, while his 2/38 against Sri Lanka in a high-scoring contest capped off Zimbabwe’s unbeaten group stage. Bowling effectively with both the new ball and at the death, his pace and bounce have troubled top-order batters throughout the tournament. 

2. Brian Bennett 

Brian Bennett has played a crucial part in Zimbabwe’s historic run to the Super Eights at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. The opener produced an unbeaten 63 off 48 balls against Sri Lanka in Colombo, guiding Zimbabwe’s 179-run chase and sealing their qualification. Bennett stitched two crucial 69-run stands, first with Tadiwanashe Marumani and then with skipper Sikandar Raza, and took them over the line. Notably, he remains unbeaten in the tournament, having remained unbeaten on 48 against Oman and on 64 against Australia.

With 175 runs in three innings, he has anchored Zimbabwe’s unbeaten group-stage campaign that included wins over Oman, Australia, and Sri Lanka, while the Ireland game was washed out. Zimbabwe will now face West Indies, India, and South Africa in the Super Eights.

1. Shadley van Schalkwyk

While the USA failed to progress to the Super Eight stage of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, one of the standout performances of their campaign came from pacer Shadley van Schalkwyk. The 37-year-old is the leading wicket-taker of the tournament after the group stage, claiming 13 wickets in just four innings at an average of 7.76.

Van Schalkwyk began with twin spells of 4/25 against India and Pakistan. Against India at the Wankhede, he rattled the top order and left the Suryakumar Yadav-led team struggling in the Powerplay. He followed it up with another four-wicket haul against Pakistan in Colombo. He also chipped in with 3/21 against the Netherlands and 2/30 versus Namibia. While the USA could not replicate their 2024 heroics, van Schalkwyk’s dream run with the ball ensured the Associate nation left a strong mark on the tournament.