Richard Ngarava Becomes Zimbabwe’s Leading T20I Wicket-Taker Overtaking Raza

Zimbabwe pacer Richard Ngarava made history during the opening match of the tri-nation T20I series at Harare Sports Club on Monday by becoming his country’s highest wicket-taker in T20 internationals. The left-arm seamer overtook veteran all-rounder Sikandar Raza with a three-wicket haul against South Africa.

Ngarava picked up the key wickets of Lhuan-de Pretorius, Reeza Hendricks, and Rubin Hermann in his four-over spell, finishing with figures of 3 for 35. This performance took his T20I wicket tally to 83, pushing him past Raza, who has 81 wickets in the format. Known for his consistent pace and sharp angles, Ngarava has become a vital figure in Zimbabwe’s limited-overs setup and continues to lead the bowling attack with growing success.

The match also featured a notable achievement for South Africa’s Lungi Ngidi, who equaled Dale Steyn’s T20I wicket record for the Proteas. Ngidi returned economical figures of 1 for 15 in four overs, with his only wicket coming from an unfortunate dismissal for Zimbabwe’s Wessly Madhevere, who hit his own stumps while trying to adjust to Ngidi’s angle. With this, Ngidi now has 64 T20I wickets, matching Steyn’s tally. Impressively, Ngidi reached the mark in just 44 matches compared to Steyn’s 47.

Among South African bowlers, Tabraiz Shamsi remains the top T20I wicket-taker with 89 scalps from 70 matches, followed by Kagiso Rabada with 71 wickets in 65 games. Ngidi now shares the third spot with Steyn, reinforcing his value as a key component in South Africa’s pace attack.