Zimbabwe etched its name in T20 cricket history books with a stunning 344 runs for 4 wickets against Gambia as it continued its honeymoon on the field during the men’s T20 World Cup Africa sub-regional qualifier tournament. This remarkable achievement beats Nepal’s previous record of 314 runs, now to hold the record of the highest total scored in T20 cricket history.
Sikandar Raza Century
Sikandar Raza was the one man who played out all his innings, securing himself as Zimbabwe’s first T20I centurion. He smashed 133 off just 33 balls, clearing an astonishing 15 sixes-another record. Thereby, Raza’s explosive game did not only hand Zimbabwe its first-ever T20I score but also set him to be the second-fastest century in T20I cricket history. On that day, he equaled Namibia’s Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton’s February 2024 record.
Dominant Victory
Zimbabwe opened the innings sharply, reaching 50 runs in 3.2 overs. It was Tadiwanashe Marumani who made his first half-century in just 13 balls. The team crossed the 100-run mark before the end of the powerplay and didn’t look back. In all, the Zimbabwean batters hit 57 boundaries to yet again enter the list of the largest T20 boundaries hit. Brian Bennett scored 50 runs off 26 balls while Clive Mandande scored 53 runs off just 17 balls, hitting a six off the last ball of the innings.
Gambia’s Struggles
Gambia toiled to match up with Zimbabwe’s furious pace. They were bowled out for just 54 runs, meaning the largest win in T20 cricket history by runs. Musa Jorbateh encountered the highest runs conceded by a bowler in a match of T20 when he conceded 93 runs from four overs. Gambia could not win in the Africa sub-regional qualifiers, which kick started by giving walkovers to Rwanda and Seychelles in the first matches, while Zimbabwe set all the four matches victory.
Conclusion
Zimbabwe’s current performance hasn’t only set multiple records but also indicated that they are undoubtedly the masters of T20 cricket. Thus, with their campaign going on in the tournament, fans in this game wait to see what Zimbabwe will next achieve in this match.
