The Associate nations have often looked to impact world cricket producing sparks of potential springing up a surprise or two. Kenya’s fairy tale journey to the semi-finals is something that is spoken off over the years where they justified why they deserved to reach the last four by beating Sri Lanka for 53 runs after winning against New Zealand by a walkover.
With the T20 format providing international status to associate nations, more and more nations look to make inroads into the game, as talents around the world look to leave a mark of their potential.
Today we take a look at the top records held by associate players around the world.
165.80
Kuwait's opening batsman Ravija Sandaruwan holds the record for the highest strike in International T20 with a figure of 165.80. Having played 15 matches so far in his career, He has scored 577 runs which included 1 century and 4 half-centuries, and also is in the 7th position for most sixes in a T20 inning.
28
In the year 2019, picking up 28 wickets from 16 matches, Sandeep Lamichanne from Nepal holds the record for the second most number of wickets in a calendar year. Bowling 59 overs, he had an economy of 6.50 with a strike rate of 12.6. His best bowling figures for the year stood at 4/20, which was his only four-wicket haul of the year.
13
Austrian middle-order batsman Mirza Ahsan smashed the second-fastest fifty in International T20 off just 13 balls. During an ICC Continental Cup, Ahsan came into bat at number 5 and went into a destruction mode against the Luxembourg bowlers going onto score an unbeaten 51 not out off just 14 balls, at a strike rate of 364.28.
35
The 37-year-old all-rounder from the Czech Republic, Sudesh Wickramasekara made the cricketing world take notice when he scored an unbeaten century off just 35 balls. He became the first batsman from his country to record a three-figure mark. He shares the record jointly with Rohit Sharma and David Miller.
104
During the game against Bulgaria at Corfu, Serbian wicketkeeper-batsman Leslie Dunbar who was making his T20I debut along with his team smashed his way to 104 not out off 61 balls which became the new record of most runs in a T20I debut match. The 30-year-old has only played 2 T20I matches in his career.
2-0-4-5
In February 2020, during Malaysia's T2OI match in Kuala Lumpur against Hong Kong, Malaysian debutant off-spinner Khizar Hayat created the record for the best bowling figures in an innings on T20I debut. Finishing the game with the bowling figures of 2-0-4-5.
38
Runs are very crucial for a team, and a team’s fighting spirit is in showcase when the lower order scores the necessary runs. The highest 10th wicket partnership in the T20 International is 38 runs scored by Mohammad Adnan and Usman Ali from Saudi Arabia against Qatar while the highest 8th wicket partnership record is held by PL Mommsen and SM Sharif from Scotland for 80 runs.
59
Never giving up on his dream, Osman Goker from Turkey became the oldest player to ever play a T20I and also the oldest player to make a T20I debut at the age of 59y 181 days. While in contrast, the youngest player ever to make a debut in T20I is M Gherasim from Bulgaria at the age of 14y 16 days.
20
Leading the cricket team as a skipper is an achievement dreamed of by any cricketer and so is always strived upon for years. But dazzling the people around, Virandeep Singh from Malaysia became the youngest captain in T20I history at the age of 20y 190 days, while the oldest captain in T20I history stands to be T Whiteman at the age of 50y 100 days from Luxembourg.
116
Kushal Bhurtel and Aasif Sheikh set up the record first-wicket partnership of 116 runs for Nepal in a T20 international, which is the highest partnership between two debutants. This was Nepal's second-highest partnership for any wicket in T20Is.
With more focus falling into cricket from associate nations, we will see a rise in standard and more budding superstars making their mark in the game. Let us know your comments on which associate nation has impressed you the most and which of these records has caught your attention.
