Birthday Special: Aaron Finch – Top 3 performances in international cricket

One of the most dangerous white-ball crickets of the modern era, Aaron Finch announced his retirement from ODI cricket in the lead-up to the T20 World Cup. The flamboyant opener became one of the most celebrated cricketers in the country after guiding Australia to their maiden T20I title last year. As a player, Finch has several accolades to his name, including the highest individual score in T20Is. On his 37th birthday, we list some of his most memorable knocks for the Men in Yellow.

153 against Sri Lanka, 2019

The 20th match of the 2019 World Cup saw Sri Lanka square off against defending champions Australia at the Kennington Oval. The Islanders won the toss in the match and put Aaron Finch’s side into bat first. The Australians made a solid start on the back of David Warner and Finch’s opening stand. However, Sri Lanka fought back with two quick wickets to peg back the Australians. But Finch continued on his merry way to register a sensational 153 off just 132 deliveries to propel Australia to a challenging total of 334 runs. Sri Lanka made a strong start to their chase but eventually fizzled out for 247 runs, falling well short of Australia’s target.

156 against England, 2013

England welcomed rivals Australia for the first T20I of the series at The Rose Bowl in Southampton in 2013. Little did they know that they were in for a long night as Australia’s explosive opener Aaron Finch put them to the sword after the visitors batted first in the contest. Finch’s opening partner David Warner was dismissed cheaply, but that did not deter Finch one bit as he compiled an innings for the ages. The opener raced past his century in double quick time on his way to a blistering 156 off just 63 deliveries. The visitors posted a massive total of 248 runs on the board and eventually won the game by a comfortable margin of 39 runs.

172 against Zimbabwe, 2018

The third match of the Zimbabwe Twenty 20 Tri-Series between hosts Zimbabwe and Australia saw a record-breaking innings from Australian white-ball skipper Aaron Finch. The power-hitting batter smashed the bowlers all around the park at the Harare Sports Club, registering a jaw-dropping 172 runs in just 76 deliveries to send the record books out the window. His trailblazing 172 is the highest-ever score in T20Is to date. Australia won the match by a comprehensive margin of 100 runs on the back of their skipper’s breathtaking effort with the bat, which garnered him a Player of the Match award as well.