Oldest T20I debutants
T20Is are considered to be a young man’s game as they meet the demands of the fast-paced format. A player must be 100 per cent to contribute to their team in at least two departments of the sport. The format demands all the players to be acrobatic which enables them to take unbelievable catches in the field and stop boundaries by putting their bodies on the line.
However, there have been instances of older players making their debuts in T20Is and breaking the age barriers. On that note, let’s take a look at the top three oldest debutants in the history of T20Is:
3. Christian M Rocca (57y 66d)
The right-handed batter from Gibraltar made his debut against Bulgaria on May 13, 2022. However, he couldn’t get a chance to leave an impact on the game on his debut as Gibraltar openers put up a magnificent exhibition and put up 213 runs on the board without losing any wickets.
He finally got a chance to perform in his second match against Romania where he ended up scoring 14 off 19 balls. Rocca has played two T20Is so far scoring 14 runs in total.
2. Cengiz Akyuz (57y 89d)
The right-handed batter from Turkey made his debut against Luxembourg on August 29, 2019. He had a forgettable debut as he got dismissed for a golden duck. The Turkish side was bundled out for just 28 during the match and went on to lose by eight wickets. The 60-year-old has played just one T20I so far where he failed to score a single run.
1. Osman Goker (59y 181d)
The right-handed batter made his debut against Romania on August 29, 2019. He ended up scoring one run off the single ball that he faced during the game. However, Goker’s side lost as they were bundled out for just 53, chasing a target of 227. The 62-year-old has just played one T20I so far where he’s scored one run.