With a sensational innings of 71 in his final match, Zimbabwe captain Hamilton Masakadza became the player with the highest individual score in career’s last T20I game.
On Friday at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram, 36-year-old Masakadza smashed 71 off just 42 balls to help Zimbabwe chase down 156 runs against Afghanistan with seven wickets in hand. His blitzkrieg included 4 fours and 5 towering sixes.
With 1,662 runs to his name from 66 innings, the right-handed batsman retired as the highest run-scorer for Zimbabwe. He has hit 11 fifties for the side in the shortest format of the game.
The win was also Zimbabwe’s first against an Asian side in T20I which also ended Afghanistan’s 12-match winning streak in the shortest format of the game. The last time Afghanistan tasted defeat in T20I was against the West Indies in 2017.
“It was super special. To lead the team to victory was really special and that too in my last game. Also, beating Afghanistan for the first time was special,” Masakadza said after the match.
A veteran of 38 Tests and 209 ODIs as well, Masakadza had earlier in the month announced his intention to retire at the end of the ongoing tri-series, involving Bangladesh.
The 36-year-old also said that he is optimistic about the talent in the country and believes that someone will definitely take his spot.
(With inputs from IANS)