Brandon Mavuta

A right-arm leg-break bowler, Brandon Mavuta is an asset to Zimbabwe national team. Spinner like him are very rare in Zimbabwe and at just 24 years of age, he has so many years to create a legacy of his own.

Mavuta was the captain of the U-19 Zimbabwe team that went on to the finals in the 2016 ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup. After an impressive World Cup campaign, the leggie was picked in the Mid-West Rhinos squad. In the very first innings of his debut first-class match, he picked up six wickets and followed it up by a two-wicket haul in the second innings on March 2nd, 2016.

A year later Mavuta was crowned as the leading wicket-taker in the 2017-18 Logan Tournament with 27 dismissals in seven matches and also in the premier List A tournament scalping 15 wickets in nine matches. In the finals of the 2017-18 Pro50 Championship tournament, he picked eight wickets for 38 runs leading the Rising Stars to their maiden title.

Leading his domestic glory onto the international stage, Mavuta made his T20I debut against Australia on July 6th, 2018. The youngster went on to concede 33 runs in his spell and went wicketless in humiliating defeat. Within a span of four months, Mavuta went on to debut in all three formats. The most notable memory was his Test debut against Bangladesh in which he seemed a bit ineffective having leaked 27 runs in his 6 overs in the first innings. He couldn’t find the right line and lengths but we all know that leg spinners take a little time to find their groove. However, once Mavuta got the chance to bowl in the second innings, he pitched everything right on the money from the word go and claimed four wickets to snatch the victory away from the hands of the Tigers.

The Kadoma-born cricketer belongs to the classical breed of leg spinners with a round-arm action. He imparts a good number of revolutions on the ball with the rip that he generates while delivering the ball and is a blessing for Zimbabwe national team. Without players like Mavuta, the condition of cricket isn’t going to improve in the country.

(As of March 2021)