As Brian Bennett raised his bat to acknowledge the cheers after a brilliant century against Tanzania last week, I was reminded of a story I had come across earlier this year.
It is a story that makes his success today all the more meaningful as Zimbabwe secured their place at next year's ICC T20 World Cup.
That story was told by two people: journalist Enock Muchinjo, who wrote an article in February, and Brian Goredema, who posted about Bennett on X back in January, both in the year 2024.
Both of them shared a crucial detail that speaks to the kind of young man Bennett is.
They quoted his mother, Sarah, who revealed the difficult choice her son had made.
While his twin brother, David, chose to go to university, Bennett decided to take a risk.
Bennett told his family he wanted to give cricket a real chance and play for Zimbabwe.
He set himself a deadline, saying that if it had not happened by the time he turned 23, he would then go to university.
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It was a brave decision, choosing the uncertain path of sport over the more secure route of education, especially at a time when the fortunes of the Zimbabwe cricket team were waning.
Now, at just 21, he and the nation are already reaping the rewards.
That century against Tanzania was not just any hundred; it meant he has now scored centuries in all three formats of the game, as he has led Zimbabwe to qualify for the T20 World Cup.
What's truly outstanding about Bennett is that he didn't take time to settle into the international scene.
We have seen many players who do well in domestic cricket but then struggle when they step up, needing time to finally find their feet.
Bennett has had none of that.
He has hit the ground running, taking to international cricket like a duckling to water.
His statistics are already impressive for a youngster just introducing himself to the world.
He averages over 30 in all three formats and plays with an exciting strike rate.
More importantly, his performances have been key in helping Zimbabwe secure a spot in the T20 World Cup to be hosted by Sri Lanka and India in February.
His opening partnership with Tadiwanashe Marumani has been a nightmare for many opponents, particularly at the Africa qualifiers.
The Chevrons successfully qualified for the World Cup after a convincing performance in the tournament on home soil.
After pummelling their opponents in the group stages with ruthless batting, Zimbabwe clinched their spot with a seven-wicket win over Kenya in the semi-finals.
In this crucial match, Bennett played a key role, scoring a rapid 51 runs from just 25 deliveries to help chase down a modest target of 123.
In the final against Namibia, who also qualified, Zimbabwe emerged victorious by seven wickets to be crowned qualifier champions.
Namibia posted 167 for six, but a composed 68 from Marumani and 44 from Dion Myers guided the hosts to chase down the target with four balls to spare.
This successful qualification marks Zimbabwe's seventh appearance in the T20 World Cup since its inception in 2007, having missed the 2009, 2021 and 2024 editions.
The team will now look to carry this momentum into the World Cup.
It's an inspiration and a wonderful thing when passion and dedication meet opportunity.
Bennett bet on himself, and with the support of his family, he is now living his dream.
That difficult choice he made is now paying off for him and Zimbabwean cricket.
At 21, with centuries in all three formats already to his name, only the future knows how far this youngster can go and what records he will break next.
