He retired from international cricket after Ashes 2025 Sydney Test.
The Brisbane Heat have put themselves in a strong position in the race for the Big Bash League (BBL) 16 finals after beating the Sydney Thunder by seven wickets at the iconic Gabba on Saturday, January 10, courtesy of a brisk fifty from Usman Khawaja, which earned him the Player of the Match award.
The Heat were chasing a strong 182 total, and Usman Khawaja, playing his first match since retiring from international cricket after the Ashes 2025 Sydney Test, really made his mark. The southpaw hammered 78 runs off just 48 balls, with seven fours and three towering sixes at a strike rate of 162.50. His ability to find gaps and time the ball to perfection led the chase, as the hosts secured a comprehensive victory with 17 balls to spare. This kept their perfect home record this season.
Khawaja’s partner, Jack Wildermuth, got off to a blistering start for the Heats, racing to 39 runs from just 15 deliveries during a mandatory powerplay that saw 59 runs scored, the highest in the first four overs this season.
Usman Khawaja, on the other hand, stayed cool even as wickets fell from the other end. Renshaw, batting at No. 4, provided great support with an unbeaten 26-ball 42 runs and put together a match-winning partnership with Khawaja of 93 runs, taking the game away from the Thunder. Renshaw finished not out on 42 from 26 balls, and Max Bryant hit a six off his first ball in the 17th over to seal the win.
Before that, David Warner’s fluent 82 runs from 56 balls helped Thunder cross the 180-run mark. He got injured while batting and did not field. His absence as a captain was felt by the Brisbane Heat as their bowlers weren’t effective, and their fielders dropped catches.
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Khawaja retired from all types of international cricket before the Ashes 2025 Sydney Test, which concluded on January 8. In that game, he made 17 runs in the first innings and six in the second. Khawaja’s final Test series was modest in terms of runs score, as he managed 176 runs in seven innings, averaging 25.14, with just one fifty. He left international cricket with over 7500 runs, including 6229 in Tests, 1554 in One Day Internationals, and 241 in T20Is.
Usman Khawaja returned to the BBL and was warmly welcomed. The crowd gave him a standing ovation after his dismissal. Notably, he had previously received a similar reception from the Sydney crowd during the final Ashes 2025 Test, along with a guard of honour from the English cricketers.
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