Zimbabwe captain in a tournament already full of fairy tales Sikandar Raza He etched 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 convincing 6-point win over hosts Sri Lanka. T20 World Cup 2026 On Thursday, he broke the record held by a former Indian captain Rohit Sharma.
Sikander Rza’s history-making match-winning performance
Rza’s historic moment has arrived Zimbabwe group stage final match with Sri Lankawhere the all-rounder delivered the captaincy under pressure. Chasing a competitive target of 179 runs, Raza finished fourth and scored a blistering innings of 45 runs off just 26 deliveries that included two fours and four powerful sixes at a strike rate of 173.08.
His aggressive batting ensured Zimbabwe maintained control of the chase and eventually reached the target with three balls to spare. Although he conceded 36 runs in four scoreless deliveries with the ball, his leadership and match-turning shots earned him the Man of the Match award.
At 39 years and 301 days, Raza surpassed Rohit’s previous record in the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy final, where the Indian won the award at 37 years and 331 days.
Rohit has featured twice in this list, showing remarkable consistency in leading from the front during ICC tournaments. His knock of 76 runs against New Zealand in the final of the 2025 Champions Trophy remains one of the best captain’s knocks in recent memory.
Oldest captains to win Player of the Match Award in ICC tournaments
| Player | Age | Tournament | Encounter | History |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sikandar Raza (Zimbabwe) | 39 years and 301 days | T20 World Cup 2026 | Zimbabwe vs Sri Lanka | February 2026 |
| Rohit Sharma (India) | 37 years and 331 days | Champions Cup 2025 | India vs New Zealand (Final) | March 2025 |
| Rohit Sharma (India) | 37 years and 55 days | T20 World Cup 2024 | India vs Australia | June 2024 |
Rohit Sharma’s legacy: Record held since March 2025
Rohit’s place on this list was cemented during the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, where he led India to victory over New Zealand in the final. In addition to securing India’s third Champions Trophy title, his captain’s knock at the Dubai International Stadium also earned him the Man of the Match award at 37 years and 331 days.
This performance placed Rohit in an elite group of captains who have won Man of the Match awards in ICC tournament finals, joining the likes of Clive Lloyd (1975 World Cup), Ricky Ponting (2003 World Cup) and MS Dhoni (2011 World Cup).
Also WATCH: Hardik Pandya makes Mahieka Sharma’s birthday special with a cake cutting ceremony at the team hotel
The remarkable journey of Sikandar Raza: Age is just a number
What makes Raza’s achievement particularly noteworthy is the context of Zimbabwe’s cricket revival. Entering the tournament as underdogs, the Chevrons qualified for the Super 8 stage for the first time in seven T20 World Cup attempts without losing in the group stage.
Rza’s leadership played a major role in this transformation. After the Sri Lankan victory, he earlier led Zimbabwe to a stunning defeat against Australia in their Group B match, knocking the 2021 champions out of the competition.
The 39-year-old’s performance against Sri Lanka also marked his 20th Man of the Match award in T20Is, making him the first player from a full member nation to reach the milestone and overtaking Indian stars Suryakumar Yadav and Virat Kohli on the all-time list.
