Cricket is a cruel game. One day you’re a hero, the next you’re walking back to the pavilion without troubling the scorers. Zimbabwe skipper Sikandar Raza learned this the hard way on Sunday in Harare. Facing India in the third T20I, Raza managed to carve his name into the history books. Just not the page he wanted.
He got a duck. A golden one, actually. That zero pushed his tally of ducks as T20I captain to seven. He just blew past Pakistan’s Babar Azam and India’s former skipper Rohit Sharma, who both sit on six. Only Australia’s Aaron Finch has more, sitting on eight. Great company, sure. But a miserable stat.
It happened fast. Fourth over of a steep 193-run chase. Indian pacer Yash Thakur banged one in short. Raza closed his face too early, looking for the leg side. Leading edge. The ball popped straight back. Thakur reacted like a cat, lunging left in his follow-through to pluck a one-handed beauty. Raza was gone. Thakur was on a hat-trick. Zimbabwe’s hopes evaporated.
The misery didn’t stop there. This latest failure tied Raza with former keeper Regis Chakabva for the most T20I ducks in Zimbabwe’s history. Eleven apiece. Bowlers Blessing Muzarabani and Richard Ngarava are close behind with nine each. At least they have the excuse of being tailenders.
Before the collapse, India put on a clinic. They posted 192 for 5. The star? A kid. Fifteen-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi smashed 81 off just 48 deliveries. He batted like a veteran on a tricky pitch, reaching his half-century in 31 balls.
The teenager showed no fear. He creamed Brad Evans down the ground for four. He launched Raza himself for a massive 102-meter maximum. He even reverse-swept Wesley Madhevere. It was brutal, brilliant, and made Zimbabwe’s subsequent capitulation look even more embarrassing.
