May 10th 2024.
It was a bittersweet moment for New Zealand's Colin Munro as he announced his retirement from international cricket. The bruising top-order batter had been left out of the national team for the upcoming T20 World Cup, leading him to make the difficult decision to step away from the game he loves.
Throughout his career, Munro had played in one Test, 57 ODIs, and 65 T20Is for the Kiwis, amassing an impressive total of 3010 runs. But it was in the shortest format that he truly made a name for himself. With an impressive strike rate of 156.44 in T20Is, the left-hander was one of the few players to have scored over 10,000 runs in all T20 competitions.
Born in Durban, Munro had made his mark in the game, scoring 10,961 runs from 428 T20s with an average of 30.44 and a striking rate of 141.25. However, his last appearance for New Zealand was back in 2020 during a T20I game against India at Mount Maunganui.
Reflecting on his career, Munro shared, "Playing for the Black Caps has always been the biggest achievement in my playing career. The fact that I've been able to do that 123 times across all formats is something I will always be incredibly proud of." He added that it was the right time for him to say goodbye to top-level cricket.
Despite not playing for New Zealand in a while, Munro never gave up hope of making a comeback based on his performances in franchise T20 leagues. But with the announcement of the Black Caps squad for the T20 World Cup, he felt that it was the perfect time to officially close that chapter.
New Zealand coach Gary Stead had considered Munro's name while picking the squad, but unfortunately, he did not make the final cut. However, Munro will continue to play in various T20 leagues around the world, showcasing his skills and entertaining fans.
Munro's retirement marks the end of an era, but his records will continue to stand the test of time. His 14-ball 50 against Sri Lanka in 2016 still remains the fastest T20I fifty by a New Zealand batsman and is the fourth quickest of all time. He also holds the record for the fastest T20I hundred by a Kiwi, scoring a century off just 47 balls against the West Indies in 2018, which also made him the first player to score three T20I tons. Munro's contribution to the game will always be remembered, and his impact on the T20 format will be felt for years to come.
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