Richard Ngarava

International career

Richard Ngarava was born on December 29, 1997, in Zimbabwe. He started his international career in cricket by playing his first Twenty20 match for Zimbabwe on September 9, 2016, during the Africa T20 Cup against Free State.

Before his debut in the senior team, Ngarava had already been part of Zimbabwe's Under-19 squad for the 2016 Cricket World Cup. His early involvement in international cricket showed his potential and set the stage for his future in the game.

Test

• Debut: Zimbabwe vs Pakistan at Harare – April 29 to May 01, 2021
• Last Match: Zimbabwe vs Ireland at Bulawayo – February 06 to 10, 2025

ODI

• Debut: Zimbabwe vs Afghanistan at Harare – February 16, 2017
• Last Match: Zimbabwe vs Ireland at Harare – February 18, 2025

T20I

• Debut: Singapore vs Zimbabwe at Singapore – September 29, 2019
• Last Match: Zimbabwe vs Ireland at Harare – February 25, 2025

Career Milestones:

• 2017:
  • February 16: Ngarava played his first ODI match for Zimbabwe against Afghanistan at Harare Sports Club.
  • February: He was selected for Zimbabwe’s academy squad to tour England later that year.
• 2019:
  • September 27: Ngarava played in his first T20I match against Singapore in the 2019–20 Singapore Tri-Nation Series.
• 2021:
  • February: Ngarava was part of Zimbabwe’s Test squad for the series against Afghanistan.
  • April 29 – May 01: He debuted in Test cricket against Pakistan.
• 2022:
  
  • Ngarava played in the T20 World Cup against South Africa in the Super 12 stage.
  • He took 1 wicket for 17 runs in 3 overs. Ngarava was injured during the match and left the field with help from the physiotherapist.
• 2023:
  • Ngarava played in the World Cup qualification tournament, taking 14 wickets in 7 matches with an average of 19.28.
  • He took 4 wickets against Nepal in the tournament’s opening match.
  • In July, after Zimbabwe did not qualify for the 2023 World Cup, Ngarava apologized to fans on Twitter.
• 2024:
  • January: Ngarava claimed his first five-wicket haul in an ODI, with figures of 5/32 against Sri Lanka.
  • July: He took 4 wickets for 12 runs in Zimbabwe’s win over Ireland in a Test match in Belfast.
• 2025:
  • January: Ngarava played in the second Test match between Afghanistan and Zimbabwe. He was dismissed in the second round due to a mix-up with captain Craig Erwin.
  • July: Ngarava helped Zimbabwe win against Ireland in a Test match, taking 4 wickets for 12 runs.

Career Statistics:

• Test Career (7 matches):
  • Wickets: 19
  • Average: 36.26
  • Best Bowling: 4/53
  • Runs per over: 3.46
• ODI Career (53 matches):
  • Wickets: 66
  • Average: 31.23
  • Best Bowling: 5/32
  • Runs per over: 5.30
• T20I Career (69 matches):
  • Wickets: 80
  • Average: 21.39
  • Best Bowling: 4/16
  • Runs per over: 7.12

ICC Rankings:

• Test Bowling: 83rd (240 points)
• ODI Bowling: 23rd (557 points)
• T20I Bowling: 85th (417 points)

Leagues Participation

Richard Ngarava has played in important cricket leagues to improve his skills. He was with the Galle Titans in the 2023 Lanka Premier League and with the Sylhet Strikers in the 2024 Bangladesh Premier League.

Lanka Premier League

Richard Ngarava has played in a few major cricket leagues. He has been part of teams in different countries, helping with his bowling skills. Below is a table of his league involvement:

Year	Team	Notes
2023	Galle Titans	Ngarava played for the Galle Titans (now Galle Marvels) and took three wickets in five matches.
2024	Sylhet Strikers	Ngarava did not play due to scheduling issues.

Bangladesh Premier League

Richard Ngarava was part of the Sylhet Strikers in the 2024 Bangladesh Premier League. He contributed to his team's victory over Durdanto Dhaka by taking 4 wickets and scoring 30 runs in one match.

Year	Team	Notes
2024	Sylhet Strikers	Ngarava helped his team win against Durdanto Dhaka, taking 4 wickets and scoring 30 runs.

Domestic career

Richard Ngarava began his domestic career in February 2017, making his List A debut for Zimbabwe A against Afghanistan A during their tour to Zimbabwe. He made his first-class debut for Rising Stars in the 2017–18 Logan Cup in October 2017. In June 2018, he was named in the Board XI team for warm-up matches ahead of the 2018 Zimbabwe Tri-Nation Series. Later that year, Ngarava was included in Zimbabwe's squad for the 2018 Africa T20 Cup and the Test series against Bangladesh, although he was ruled out due to injury. As of March 2025, he played in the 19th Pro50 Championship match with the Mashonaland Eagles.

Records and achievements

Here’s a list of Richard Ngarava’s records and achievements:

• Test Career (2017–2025): Played 7 matches, took 19 wickets, average of 36.26, best bowling 4/53.
• ODI Career (2017–2025): Played 53 matches, took 66 wickets, average of 31.23, best bowling 5/32.
• T20I Career (2017–2025): Played 69 matches, took 80 wickets, average of 21.39, best bowling 4/16.
• January 2024 (ODI): Took 5 wickets against Sri Lanka, first five-wicket haul in an ODI.
• 2021 (T20I): Helped Zimbabwe win 3-0 against Ireland, defending 5 points in the final round.
• 2016 (Under-19): Played in the Under-19 Cricket World Cup.
• 2025 (ICC Rankings): Ranked 83rd in Test bowling with 240 points.
• 2025 (ICC Rankings): Ranked 23rd in ODI bowling with 557 points.
• 2025 (ICC Rankings): Ranked 85th in T20I bowling with 417 points.

Personal life

Richard Ngarava keeps his personal life mostly private. Not many details are shared about his family or lifestyle. However, some information has been reported.

Family

In May 2023, Ngarava’s mother, Anna Ngarava, passed away. She left behind four children. There is no public information about his marital status or children.

Finance

As of 2023, Richard Ngarava’s wealth is estimated to be between 1 and 5 million US dollars.

Scandals

In 2016, during the Under-19 World Cup, Ngarava was part of a controversial moment in a match against the West Indies. With one wicket remaining, fast bowler Keemo Paul made a wrong move, and Zimbabwe lost by two points.

In 2019, after a poor performance in a T20I against Singapore, Ngarava faced criticism. He took two wickets but gave up 48 runs. Despite the criticism, Ngarava worked on improving his bowling and regained the trust of fans and selectors.

Fans

In 2023, after Zimbabwe’s failure to qualify for the 2023 World Cup, Ngarava apologized to the fans. The team lost to Scotland in a match where they needed 235 runs to win but could only score 203. Richard Ngarava has 6,000 followers on Instagram, where he connects with fans and shares updates.