Portugal Cruise to Series Sweep as Cruz De Oliviera Rips Through Sweden

Portugal won by 7 wickets (with 14 balls remaining) against Sweden in the 120th match of 143 in the 2026 T20 Internationals season at Botkyrka Cricket Center in Stockholm. Portugal completed a 2-0 series sweep over Sweden, with Sebastian Cruz De Oliviera‘s devastating 4/25 setting up a comfortable chase on the hosts’ home ground.

Sweden Innings – 143/9 (20 overs)

Sweden won the toss and chose to bat but suffered a disastrous start, losing Ajay Mundra (9 off 5, 1×4) and Zaid Ahmad (0 off 3) with the score on just 15 in the opening two overs. Darshan Lakhani (21 off 14, 3×4 1×6) counter-attacked briefly, adding 22 with Yatharth Chauhan (12 off 18) before falling at 37/3 in the 5th over. Chauhan’s departure at 65/4 in the 10th over left Sweden in trouble at the halfway mark.

Wynand Boshoff (12 off 7, 2×4) provided a brief flourish, but it was Imal Zuwak (32 off 34, 3×4) who anchored the middle overs with the innings’ longest stay at the crease. His departure at 109/6 in the 17th over exposed the lower order, though Zabiullah Zahid (25 off 14, 1×4 3×6) struck three sixes at the death to push Sweden to a competitive 143/9.

Cruz De Oliviera was the standout with 4/25 from his four overs at an economy of 6.25, while Edward Fleming (3/19, Econ 4.75) was equally destructive. Rahulkumar Hashu (1/16, Econ 5.33) chipped in with a wicket of his own.

Portugal Chase – 144/3 (17.4 overs)

Portugal’s chase was controlled from the outset. Dhavalkumar Norotam (23 off 16, 4×4) set an aggressive tone before falling at 39/1 in the 5th over. Sharn Gomes (37 off 31, 3×4) and Chad Potgieter (42 off 37, 4×4 1×6) then put together a partnership of 58, taking the chase from 39/1 to 97/2 without ever looking troubled.

Gomes fell lbw at 97/2 in the 13th over and Potgieter was run out at 119/3 in the 16th over, but by then the finish line was in sight. Natim Hassam (21* off 17, 3×4) and Hardeep Khuttan (9* off 5, 1×4) completed the job with 14 balls to spare. Sweden’s bowling lacked penetration – only Advait Dhabe (1/30, Econ 7.50) and Shreyas Nanjunda Swamy (1/24, Econ 8.00) managed wickets.

Statz MVP – Sebastian Cruz De Oliviera (88)

Sebastian Cruz De Oliviera earned the Statz Match Impact rating of 88 out of 100. The Statz rating calculates impact based on match context, and Cruz De Oliviera’s 4/25 was the decisive spell that dismantled Sweden’s top order and made the chase straightforward. No official Man of the Match was awarded for this fixture.

Remarkably, Edward Fleming also recorded a Statz rating of 88 for his 3/19 – the Portuguese seamers sharing the match-winning spoils almost identically.

Top 5 Statz Ratings

1. Sebastian Cruz De Oliviera (POR) – 88 – Devastating 4/25 that ripped through Sweden’s batting lineup
2. Edward Fleming (POR) – 88 – 3/19 at an economy of 4.75, equally lethal alongside Cruz De Oliviera
3. Zabiullah Zahid (SWE) – 56 – Late fireworks with 25 off 14 (3×6) gave Sweden’s total a late boost
4. Advait Dhabe (SWE) – 46 – Sweden’s best all-round contribution with 11 runs and 1/30 bowling
5. Chad Potgieter (POR) – 42 – Top-scored with 42 off 37 to anchor the chase

Turning Point

Sweden losing two wickets for just 15 runs in the opening two overs set the tone for the entire match. Ajay Mundra was caught at 15/1, and Zaid Ahmad followed for a duck at 15/2 just three balls later. That early double strike put Sweden on the back foot from the very first over, and while they recovered to post 143, they never built the momentum needed for a truly competitive total on this ground.

Match Context

This was the 120th match of 143 in the 2026 T20 Internationals season, played at Botkyrka Cricket Center in Stockholm. Portugal sit 40th in the ICC T20I rankings with a rating of 76 and completed a 2-0 series sweep over Sweden, having won the first match by 12 runs earlier in the day. For Sweden, it was a chastening day on home soil – two matches, two defeats, and no answer to Portugal’s bowling attack.

View the full scorecard on Statz