Innocent Kaia

International career

Innocent Kaia is a Zimbabwean cricketer who has built a solid reputation in all formats of international cricket. His career started in T20Is, and he soon made his mark in ODIs and Tests. Kaia has played an important role for Zimbabwe, showing his skills in key moments. Below is a year-by-year look at his international career.

2021

• T20I Debut: Kaia played his first T20I against Scotland in Edinburgh on September 17, 2021. This match marked his introduction to international T20 cricket.

2022

• ODI Debut: Kaia made his ODI debut against Afghanistan at Harare on June 04, 2022. His first match in this format showed his potential for the longer format.
• ODI Performance: In just his second ODI match, Kaia scored a half-century, impressing with his batting.

2023

• Test Debut: Kaia’s Test debut came against West Indies at Bulawayo on February 04–08, 2023. He scored 67 runs in his first Test match, showing he could handle the longer format.
• Test Performance: In his second Test match, Kaia scored 38 runs off 52 balls against the West Indies in February 2023.
• ODI Milestone: Kaia reached his first ODI century during a match against Bangladesh. He formed a strong partnership with Sikandar Raza, which set a new record for Zimbabwe.

2024

• T20I Performance: Kaia’s most recent T20I match was against India at Harare on July 07, 2024. He scored 4 runs off 3 balls.

Leagues Participation

Innocent Kaia has not played in any major cricket leagues. His main focus has been on international cricket, where he represents Zimbabwe in Test, ODI, and T20I formats.

Domestic career

Innocent Kaia began his domestic career in Zimbabwe in List A cricket in December 2013, making his debut for Southern Rocks against Mid West Rhinos. He played his first-class debut for the same team in February 2014 against Mashonaland Eagles, scoring 80 runs. Kaia played one season for Southern Rocks before moving to Mountaineers, where he stayed until the 2018-19 season. It was with Mountaineers that Kaia scored his first first-class century in just his second game. Afterward, he returned to Southern Rocks at the start of the 2020-21 season.

Kaia’s T20 debut came in September 2017, when he played for Zimbabwe in the Africa T20 Cup against KZN-Inland. In 2023, Kaia played in the Zim Afro T10, where he became a key player for Bulawayo Braves, scoring 52 runs in a match against Cape Town Samp Army, helping his team secure a victory.

In his domestic career, Kaia has accumulated 2590 runs and 26 wickets in first-class cricket, 1913 runs and 13 wickets in List A matches, and 695 runs in T20s. In 2024, he played two matches in the Logan Cup, scoring 188 runs. His consistent performances in the domestic circuit have laid the foundation for his international career.

His career spans various formats and competitions, from his early days in the domestic league to his more recent contributions in T20 and T10 formats. Kaia continues to be an important player for his teams and remains a key figure in Zimbabwe's domestic cricket scene.

Records and achievements

Innocent Kaia has earned a solid reputation in international cricket across all formats. Below are some of his key records and achievements:

• Test Career:
• Matches Played: 2
• Runs Scored: 172
• Batting Average: 43
• Fours Hit: 23
• Sixes Hit: 0
• Best Performance: 38 runs off 52 balls against West Indies in February 2023 at Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo.
  
  
• ODI Career:
  • Matches Played: 19
  • Runs Scored: 450
  • Batting Average: 25
  • Fours Hit: 40
  • Sixes Hit: 5
  • Best Performance: 5 runs off 8 balls in December 2023 at Harare Sports Club against Ireland.
    
    
• T20 Career:
  • Matches Played: 19
  • Runs Scored: 290
  • Batting Average: 15
  • Fours Hit: 27
  • Sixes Hit: 7
  • Best Performance: 4 runs off 3 balls against India in July 2024 at Harare Sports Club.

These statistics show Innocent Kaia’s consistency and value in international cricket. His career continues to grow with more achievements in both domestic and international matches.

Personal life

Innocent Kaia keeps his personal life private and focuses on his cricket career. Below is some information about his life outside of the sport:

Family

Innocent has two brothers: Knowledge Kaia and Roy Kaia. Both have played first-class cricket in Zimbabwe. As of 2024, Innocent is not in a relationship and remains single.

Finance

In 2023, Innocent Kaia’s net worth was reported to be around $2 million.

Scandals

In 2022, during the third ODI between India and Zimbabwe at Harare Sports Complex, Deepak Chahar "Mankaded" Innocent Kaia but did not appeal. This sparked a debate about ethics in cricket, with differing views on whether the warning was fair or not.

Fans

Innocent Kaia has a strong presence on social media, particularly on Instagram, where he has around 4.8k followers. Fans continue to support him in his cricket career.