Birthday special: Colin Munro – His 3 best T20 knocks
Colin Munro is one of New Zealand’s modern-day greats who has been very impactful in the shortest format with his game-changing power-hitting abilities. The southpaw also has the potential of taking the new-ball bowlers to the cleaners opening the innings and has helped his team in getting off to brisk starts on a few occasions.
In his 65 T20I appearances for the Kiwis, the South Africa-born cricketer has amassed 1734 runs averaging 31.34 including three centuries and 11 half-centuries. On the occasion of his 35th birthday, here’s a look at three of his best T20 knocks so far in his promising cricketing career that still has a lot more in store.
101 vs Bangladesh
This was Colin Munro’s maiden T20I ton which came against Bangladesh during the second game at the Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui on January 6, 2017. The South Africa-born cricketer scored a quickfire 101 runs off 54 deliveries that propelled the Black Caps to 195/7 from their 20 overs which was more than enough for the hosts to register a 47-run win. Meanwhile, Munro also became the third New Zealand player after Brendon McCullum and Martin Guptill to breach the three-figure mark in the shortest format of the game.
109* vs India
The left-hander went on to register his second T20I century in the very same year against India during the second of the three-match series at Rajkot. Opening the innings, Munro took all the Indian bowlers to the cleaners on a typical batting-friendly surface and remained unbeaten on 109 runs from just 58 balls at a strike rate of 187.93.
New Zealand finished their innings at 196/2 from the 20 overs and in reply, the Men in Blue were restricted to 156/7 as the visitors registered an emphatic win by 40 runs to keep the series alive. This knock also remains his highest individual T20I score to date.
104 vs West Indies
Colin Munro was in the form of his life and a couple of months after his brilliance against India, he scored his third T20I hundred during a home game against the then T20 world champions West Indies at the Bay Oval on January 3, 2018.
The southpaw scored a blistering 104 runs off 53 deliveries including three fours and 10 sixes at a strike rate of 196.23. The knock powered the hosts to a mammoth 243/5 from their 20 overs and also turned out to be a match-winning one as the Kane Williamson-led side emerged triumphant by 119 runs.
