HARARE: Zimbabwe T20 captain Sikandar Raza has suffered the tragic loss of his 13-year-old brother.
Zimbabwe Cricket announced with deep sorrow that Muhammad Mehdi passed away on December 29 in Harare.
In an official statement, the board revealed that Mehdi had been living with congenital hemophilia, and his death resulted from recent medical complications.
Zimbabwe Cricket expressed that the entire management, players, and staff stand in full support with Sikandar Raza and his family during this difficult time.
Sikandar Raza, born on April 24, 1986, in Sialkot, Pakistan, to a Punjabi-speaking Kashmiri Muslim family, emigrated to Zimbabwe with his family in 2002 after initially aspiring to become a Pakistan Air Force pilot, a dream cut short by failing a vision test.
He pursued a bachelor’s degree in software engineering at Glasgow Caledonian University in Scotland, where he began playing semi-professional cricket before returning to Zimbabwe to focus on the game full-time.
Raza made his international debut for Zimbabwe in 2013 and has since become one of the country’s most vital all-rounders, batting right-handed and bowling off-spin while serving as the T20I captain.
His career highlights include being the first Zimbabwean to score a T20I century, taking 7/113 in a Test innings against Sri Lanka in 2020 (the second-best figures for a Zimbabwe bowler in Tests), and earning Player of the Tournament in the 2018 and 2022 World Cup Qualifiers despite Zimbabwe’s failure to qualify in 2018.
In 2022, he had a breakout year with over 600 ODI runs and 500 T20I runs, including three ODI centuries in successful run chases in a single month , a unique record and played key roles in upsets, such as Zimbabwe’s 2022 T20 World Cup win over Pakistan.
As of late 2025, Raza has played 22 Tests (1,434 runs at 34 average), 153 ODIs (around 4,476 runs at 37 average), and 123 T20Is (about 2,742 runs at 25 average), while thriving in global T20 leagues like IPL (with Punjab Kings), PSL (Lahore Qalandars), ILT20, CPL, and others.
His estimated net worth in 2025 stands around $5 million (approximately Rs. 37 crore), derived mainly from franchise league contracts, Zimbabwe Cricket salary, and endorsements.
Raza keeps his personal life private but is married (reports vary on his wife’s name, possibly Laila Khan or similar) and has at least two sons, with family remaining a low-key aspect amid his recent tragic loss of a younger brother in December 2025.
