In the ICC Men's T20 World Cup Sub Regional Africa Qualifier Group B, Zimbabwe created history by scoring the highest total in T20 cricket history.
On Wednesday (23 October), Zimbabwe were facing Gambia at Nairobi. After Zimbabwe won the toss, they chose to bat first. The Chevrons scored 344/4 in 20 overs, which is the new record for highest total in T20 cricket history. It was the only second time that a T20 team reached the 300-run mark.
During the first innings, Zimbabwe openers Brian Bennett and Tadiwanashe Marumani scored 50 and 62 runs, respectively. Captain Sikander Raza scored the historic 133 not out off 43 balls with seven fours and 15 sixes. Also, Clive Madande scored 53 not out off just 17 balls with three fours and five sixes.
In reply, Gambia were all out for only 54 runs, as Zimbabwe won the match by 290 runs. Only the 10th batter Andre Jarju reached the double-digit score in that innings (12), while the extras (14) were the leading run-scorer in that innings.
Here are some key stats of the match:
Tadiwanashe Marumani scored 50 runs in 13 balls
- Tadiwanashe Marumani recorded the joint third-fastest T20I half-century.
Fastest T20I half-centuries
Player (Team)
Balls to complete 50 runs
Opposition
Venue
Year
Dipendra Singh Airee (Nepal)
9
Mongolia
Hangzhou
2023
Yuvraj Singh (India)
12
England
Durban
2007
Mirza Ahsan (Austria)
13
Luxembourg
Ilfov County
2019
Tadiwanashe Marumani (Zimbabwe)
13
Gambia
Nairobi (Ruaraka)
2024
Colin Munro (New Zealand)
14
Sri Lanka
Auckland
2016
Ramesh Satheesan (Romania)
14
Serbia
Sofia
2021
Sahil Chauhan (Estonia)
14
Cyprus
Episkopi
2024
Player (Team) | Balls to complete 50 runs | Opposition | Venue | Year |
Dipendra Singh Airee (Nepal) | 9 | Mongolia | Hangzhou | 2023 |
Yuvraj Singh (India) | 12 | England | Durban | 2007 |
Mirza Ahsan (Austria) | 13 | Luxembourg | Ilfov County | 2019 |
Tadiwanashe Marumani (Zimbabwe) | 13 | Gambia | Nairobi (Ruaraka) | 2024 |
Colin Munro (New Zealand) | 14 | Sri Lanka | Auckland | 2016 |
Ramesh Satheesan (Romania) | 14 | Serbia | Sofia | 2021 |
Sahil Chauhan (Estonia) | 14 | Cyprus | Episkopi | 2024 |
Sikandar Raza completed his century in 33 balls. He scored 133 not out off 43 balls.
First Zimbabwe batter
- Sikandar Raza is the first Zimbabwe batter to record a T20I century. The previous highest individual T20I score by a Zimbabwe batter was 96 by Dion Myers against Rwanda on the previous day (22 October 2024).
Joint 2nd fastest T20I hundred
- It was the joint second-fastest T20I century.
Fastest T20I centuries
Player (Team) | Balls to complete 100 runs | Opposition | Venue | Year |
Sahil Chauhan (Estonia) | 27 | Cyprus | Episkopi | 2024 |
Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton (Namibia) | 33 | Nepal | Kirtipur | 2024 |
Sikandar Raza (Zimbabwe) | 33 | Gambia | Nairobi (Ruaraka) | 2024 |
Kushal Malla (Nepal) | 34 | Mongolia | Hangzhou | 2023 |
David Miller (South Africa) | 35 | Bangladesh | Potchefstroom | 2017 |
Rohit Sharma (India) | 35 | Sri Lanka | Indore | 2017 |
Sudesh Wickramasekara (Czech Republic) | 35 | Turkey | Ilfov County | 2019 |
2nd highest T20I score by a captain
- Raza recorded the second-highest individual score by a captain in T20I history. The record is 172 by the former Australian captain Aaron Finch against Zimbabwe in the 2018 Harare T20I.
Zimbabwe scored 344/4 in 20 overs
- It is the record total in T20 cricket history. The previous record was 314/3 by Nepal against Mongolia at Hangzhou on 27 September 2023.
Musa Jobarteh ended with bowling figures of 4-0-93-0.
- It is the most expensive over in T20 cricket history. The previous record holder was Derbyshire’s Mattie McKiernan with the bowling figures 4-0-82-0 against Somerset in 2022.
Sikandar Raza hit 15 sixes in the match.
- Raza recorded the joint fourth most sixes in a T20I innings.
Batters with the most sixes in a T20I innings
Player (Team) | Number of sixes | Opposition | Venue | Date |
Sahil Chauhan (Estonia) | 18 | Cyprus | Episkopi | 17 June 2024 |
Hazratullah Zazai (Afghanistan) | 16 | Ireland | Dehradun | 23 February 2019 |
Finn Allen (New Zealand) | 16 | Pakistan | Dunedin | 17 January 2024 |
Zeeshan Kukikhel (Hungary) | 15 | Austria | Lower Austria | 5 June 2022 |
Sikandar Raza (Zimbabwe) | 15 | Gambia | Nairobi (Ruaraka) | 23 October 2024 |
Zimbabwe hit 27 sixes in the first innings
- Zimbabwe set a new record for the most sixes in a team’s T20I innings. The previous record was 26 sixes by Nepal against Mongolia at Hangzhou on 27 September 2023.
Zimbabwe's innings experienced four 50+ scores
- Zimbabwe became the first team to record more than three 50+ scores in the same T20I innings.
Zimbabwe won the match by 290 runs
- It is the largest T20 winning margin (by runs). The previous record was winning by 273 runs for Nepal against Mongolia at Hangzhou during the Asian Games 2023.
