In a tournament already full of fairy tales, the Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza He has registered his name in the cricket history books by becoming the oldest captain to win the Player of the Match award in an ICC tournament. The 39-year-old achieved the feat during Zimbabwe’s emphatic six-wicket win over co-hosts Sri Lanka. t20 world cup 2026 On Thursday, it broke a record set by the former Indian captain Rohit Sharma.
Sikandar Raza’s match winning performance which created history
Raza’s historic moment arrived Zimbabwe’s final group-stage match against Sri LankaWhere the all-rounder played captaincy innings under pressure. Chasing a competitive target of 179, Raza came in at number four and played a blistering inning of 45 runs with the help of two fours and four sky-high sixes off just 26 balls at a strike rate of 173.08.
Their aggressive batting ensured that Zimbabwe maintained control of the chase and eventually reached the target with three balls to spare. Although he conceded 36 runs with the ball in four wicketless overs, his leadership and match-turning innings earned him the Player of the Match award.
At the age of 39 years and 301 days, Raza overtook Rohit’s previous record set during the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy final, where the Indian opener had won the award at the age of 37 years and 331 days.
Rohit has featured in this list twice, demonstrating his remarkable consistency in leading from the front during ICC tournaments. His innings of 76 in the 2025 Champions Trophy final against New Zealand is one of the captain’s finest innings in recent memory.
Oldest captain to win Player of the Match award in ICC tournament
| player | age | tournament | match | date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sikandar Raza (Zimbabwe) | 39 years 301 days | t20 world cup 2026 | zimbabwe vs sri lanka | February 2026 |
| Rohit Sharma (India) | 37 years 331 days | champions trophy 2025 | India vs New Zealand (Final) | march 2025 |
| Rohit Sharma (India) | 37 years 55 days | t20 world cup 2024 | india vs australia | June 2024 |
Rohit Sharma’s legacy: The record that stands since March 2025
Rohit’s place in this list was confirmed during the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, where he led India to victory against New Zealand in the final. His captaincy innings at the Dubai International Stadium not only led India to their third Champions Trophy title but also earned him the Player of the Match award at the age of 37 years and 331 days.
That performance put Rohit among an elite group of captains who have won the Player of the Match award in an ICC tournament final, joining Clive Lloyd (1975 World Cup), Ricky Ponting (2003 World Cup) and MS Dhoni (2011 World Cup).
Sikandar Raza’s remarkable journey: Age is just a number
The context of Zimbabwe’s cricket resurgence makes Raza’s achievement particularly noteworthy. Chevron, who entered the tournament as underdogs, have now qualified for their first Super 8 stage in seven T20 World Cup attempts, having remained undefeated in the group stage.
Raza’s leadership has played an important role in this change. Beyond Sri Lanka’s win, he guided Zimbabwe to a surprise upset against Australia in the first Group B match, knocking the 2021 champions out of the competition.
The 39-year-old’s performance against Sri Lanka also marked his 20th Player of the Match award in T20Is, making him the first player from a Full Member nation to reach this milestone and surpassing Indian stars Suryakumar Yadav and Virat Kohli on the all-time list.
Also read: ICC announces full list of qualified teams for T20 World Cup 2028
