Another Legend Bows Out: Brendan Taylor Ruled of T20 World Cup, Ben Curran Named Replacement
In a heart-breaking turn of events, Zimbabwe veteran Brendan Taylor has been officially ruled out of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 due to a right hamstring injury, bringing an abrupt end to a historic journey that spanned the very first edition of the tournament to this one.
The 40-year-old batting mainstay suffered the injury during Zimbabwe’s opening clash against Oman. After taking three sharp catches in the field, Taylor was batting on 31 off 30 balls when his hamstring gave way, forcing him to retire hurt. What Zimbabwe hoped would be a minor niggle has now been confirmed as a tournament-ending setback.
“Following a medical assessment, it was determined that he will not recover in time to take any further part in the competition,” Zimbabwe Cricket stated in an official release.
Taylor’s absence is both an emotional and tactical blow. He was the only player to have featured in both the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007 and the current 2026 edition—a remarkable 19-year span of international cricket. His experience and calm presence in the middle order will be sorely missed.
The ICC Event Technical Committee has approved Ben Curran as Taylor’s replacement. The 29-year-old left-handed top-order batter is yet to make his T20I debut for Zimbabwe but brings solid credentials. He has played: 8 Tests and 8 ODIs for Zimbabwe, 2 hundreds and 3 fifties across formats, 872 runs in T20 cricket at a strike rate of 126.01, with 7 half-centuries
Curran is currently in Chennai and is expected to link up with the squad immediately. Meanwhile, all-rounder Tony Munyonga had already been drafted into the XI for Zimbabwe’s subsequent match against Australia.
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