Ngarava and Raza; The phoenixes of the Chevrons’ ashes

ZIMBABWE men’s cricket team had a dismal year in 2023, failing to qualify for two major tournaments in four months. But amid the gloom, two players stood out and earned global recognition. Richard Ngarava and Sikandar Raza defied Zimbabwe’s struggles on the international stage and shone in T20I cricket. The International Cricket Council (ICC) rewarded their efforts by naming them in their T20I Team of the Year for 2023.

Ngarava, a 26-year-old fast bowler, and Raza, the T20I captain, are now Zimbabwe’s biggest cricket stars. Ngarava credits his success to the people who supported him along the way.

“Being included in the ICC Team of the Year means a lot to me and all credit goes to different people who helped me out, be it coaching, mental health, gym sessions; a lot of names to mention to be honest. Dave Houghton, Steve Kirby, teammates, George Thandi, Keegan, Stuart Matsikenyeri, Erick Chauluka, Walter Karimanzira and not forgetting my wife who is my number one supporter.

“I feel extremely happy about big time, going forward and beyond, I leave all that to God as I know that He hasn’t started with me yet and that being said, I am grateful to God for the opportunities and the journey so far,” he said.

Raza, who was also in the ICC Team of the Year in 2022, said it was a humbling honour. The duo’s impressive performances for Zimbabwe have opened doors for them in various international franchise leagues. Ngarava joined the Sylhet Strikers in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), while Raza signed up for the Dubai Capitals in the International League T20 (ILT20) in the UAE. Raza is also set to make his debut for Northamptonshire in the Vitality Blast in England, where he was described by the head coach John Sadler as “just what they need”.

This is Ngarava’s second stint in franchise cricket, after playing for the Galle Titans in the Lankan Premier League (LPL) last year. Raza, on the other hand, has been a regular in franchise cricket and has been achieving more milestones. Ngarava is close to becoming Zimbabwe’s all-time leading wicket-taker in T20Is, with 26 wickets in 15 matches in 2023, at an economy rate of 5.63 runs per over. He took five wickets in three matches against Ireland in December. Raza was consistent with the bat, scoring at least 20 runs in nine of his 11 innings in 2023. He also scored two fifties and took four wickets in a series against Namibia.

He also was handy with ball in hand, claiming 21 wickets in the year that was. In the Africa Qualifier matches, he took wickets in all but one of Zimbabwe’s games. He also managed to claim figures of 3/28 in four overs in a series loss against Ireland at the end of the year.

As 2024 goes, it promises to be yet another memorable year for the Chevrons duo, which look set to scale even greater heights while making a name for themselves on the big stages worldwide. Winning games for Zimbabwe, Ngarava and Raza’s stocks will continue growing.
@brandon_malvin