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Babar Azam Left Behind As Brian Bennett Creates T20I History With Fluent 81 vs Sri Lanka

Jatin

Babar Azam and Brian Bennett [Source: @ShahJahanba56, @ZimCricketv/x.com]Babar Azam and Brian Bennett [Source: @ShahJahanba56, @ZimCricketv/x.com]

It was one of those matches at Harare Sports Club on Wednesdat where the scoreboard told one story but the record books told another. Zimbabwe opener Brian Bennett lit up the first T20I against Sri Lanka with a fluent 81 off 57 balls.

Brian Bennett Outshines Babar Azam with Highest T20I Score Without a Six

He drove, he cut, he flicked but not once did he send the ball over the ropes. Yet, that very fact is what made his innings historic. Brian Bennett’s 81 is now the highest T20I score without hitting a six among full ICC members.

He went past two giants of the modern game: Faf du Plessis and Babar Azam, who both had 79 to their name in similar fashion. Names like Mohammad Rizwan and Ricky Ponting also figure in this quirky list, but Bennett now sits right at the top.

Across all ICC members, Malawi’s Sami Sohail still holds the crown with his unbeaten 94 against Lesotho in 2022, but for the big boys of world cricket, it’s Bennett who holds the bragging rights.

Lone Warrior In The Zimbabwe Innings

The 27-year-old right-hander was batting like a man on a mission. He pierced the field with 12 crisp boundaries and for a while it looked like Zimbabwe would post an above-par score.

But apart from skipper Sikandar Raza’s 28, the rest of the line-up failed to fire. The innings ended at 175/7 and Bennett fell just 10 short of his career-best when a Dushmantha Chameera yorker clattered his stumps. It was the end of a lone fight that deserved more support.

Sri Lanka Spoil The Party

Chasing 176, Sri Lanka made sure Bennett’s special knock didn’t translate into a win. Pathum Nissanka continued his purple patch with a breezy 55 off 32 balls. And when things got tight, Kamindu Mendis walked in and smashed an unbeaten 41 off just 16 deliveries to seal the game with five balls to spare. 

Sri Lanka took the spoils, but Bennett walked away with the headlines. For Zimbabwe, the defeat will sting. But Bennett’s feat ensures the night won’t be remembered only for the loss.