In 2017, Michael Klinger, a Big Bash League winner, became the oldest Australian to debut in T20Is. He was included in the team for a three-match series against Sri Lanka after performing exceptionally well in the latest Big Bash League season.
Here are the top 5 oldest players who debuted in T20Is for Test-playing nations.
5. RR Emrit (West Indies) – 36 years 301 days
We begin this list with Rayad Emrit, a player not very famous. Emrit is mostly known for his performances in franchise cricket and West Indian domestic matches. He made his debut against New Zealand on January 3, 2018.
In that game, Colin Munro hit a stunning 104 runs off 53 balls, and Emrit ended with the bowling figures of 4 overs, 42 runs, and 1 wicket, giving away five sixes. After this unimpressive start, Emrit played three more matches for his national team, with his last game being against Pakistan in April 2018.
4. Sanath Jayasuriya (Sri Lanka) – 36 years, 350 days
Sanath Jayasuriya, one of the older players who kept playing even after turning 40, was known for his powerful hitting and clever bowling. He played for the Sri Lankan team for over 20 years.
In 2006, Jayasuriya and his team played their first T20 International match, which was very close. Sri Lanka won by just two runs against England. Jayasuriya scored 41 runs from 30 balls, helping Sri Lanka reach a total of 163. He also bowled four overs and took two wickets.
Jayasuriya played 30 more T20 International matches, continuing to score quickly at the start of the innings until he retired in 2011.
3. Floyd Reifer (WI) – 37 years, 10 days
Floyd Reifer’s international cricket career lasted a very long time, but he only played in 15 matches. In 2009, everything changed for him: he was suddenly chosen as the Test captain and made his T20I debut.
His debut was memorable. Leading a second-string team, he helped them win against Bangladesh by scoring 22 runs off 20 balls. After that, Reifer never played for the West Indies again, as his career ended when the main players returned to the team.
Since then, Reifer has appeared occasionally in various matches, with his last recorded game being for the UWI vs. WICB celebrity match two years ago.
ALSO READ: Here are the top five most surprising upsets in the 17-year history of the T20 World Cup.
2. Rahul Dravid (IND) – 38 years, 232 day
If the team needed him to, Rahul Dravid could do anything, even walk on water. In 2011, during India’s tour of England, Dravid was brought back from being overlooked in limited-overs cricket because other batsmen were struggling. He made his T20I debut at the age of 39, becoming the oldest Indian to do so.
And what a debut it was! Normally calm, Dravid hit Samit Patel for three huge sixes in a row, scoring a quick 31 runs off 20 balls. He retired from T20I cricket after that match.
He continued playing Test cricket for another year before retiring in 2012.
1. Rafatullah Mohmand (PAK) – 39 years, 20 day
The reward came late, but it finally arrived. Rafatullah Mohmand is known for not missing a single domestic season, playing consistently since 1996. His reward came in 2015 when he made his debut for Pakistan against England in a T20I match.
It wasn’t always easy: frustrated by constantly being overlooked, he considered moving to Afghanistan or even quitting the game. But he persevered and eventually played three T20I matches for Pakistan.
He last played for his domestic team, the Water and Development Authority (WADC), in October 2006.
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