Roy Kaia

Kaia is one of Zimbabwe cricket’s most prolific domestic all-rounders who, after years of toil, finally earned a Test debut against the touring Pakistanis (May 2021).

Coming in at 30-4, Kaia top-scored for Zimbabwe, hitting 48 from 94 balls with 7 boundaries, which helped his side to a first-innings total of 176. Unfortunately for Kaia, he would only score 11 runs in his next 5 innings (and 2 Test matches), and would subsequently be dropped after only 3 Tests.

His return to the national fold was, quite frankly, well overdue. Since his domestic debut back in February 2009, Kaia has racked up over 6,000 runs and 180 wickets across the three formats.

Following an impressive junior career, where he represented Zimbabwe Under-19s on 16 occasions, with best performances of 5-25 (v Pakistan) and 60* (from 56 balls), 4-49, and 3-23 (v South Africa), including the wicket of England Test opener Keaton Jennings (twice), Kaia broke into provincial cricket in 2009, making his first-class and List-A debuts for Centrals.

Thereafter, he has featured for the Mountaineers, before returning to the Rocks for the 2020/21 season. The all-rounder enjoyed a barnstorming 2014/15 domestic season, particularly in the one-day format, topping the Pro50 Championship run charts (381 runs at 56.20). His exploits culminated with his ODI debut for Zimbabwe against Pakistan In May 2015, but unfortunately, the weather curtailed his involvement, with the game ending in a no result.

Despite dominant performances at domestic level, Kaia only returned to the national fold in May 2021. Quite frankly, he gave selectors no choice but to pick him!

In 2019/20, he took 15 wickets at 18.20 and scored 238 runs at 26.44 in Zimbabwe’s Logan Cup. The following summer, after helping Takashinga Cricket Club to the National Cricket League title, courtesy of his Man of the Tournament award, Kaia continued to shine in the Logan Cup. He was the tournament's best performer, topping both the run and averages (min 100 runs) with 374 runs @ 62.33, and was the 5th leading wicket-taker (12 wickets at 15.50)! His exploits helped his Southern Rocks to the Logan Cup title.

Over the past two seasons, Kaia hasn't been quite so prolific with the bat in Logan Cup cricket, hitting 451 runs at 41 (2021/22) and 232 runs at 19.33 (2022/23). However, he has been a solid performer with the ball, particularly during the most recent season taking 16 wickets at 25.62 including career-best figures of 7-58.

Not content with his domestic dominance, Kaia has also excelled abroad during two prior stints in English League cricket. After an injury-curtailed season with Cumbria League club Haverigg (2018), which included 35 wickets at 16.08, he returned to excel for Bognor Regis in the Sussex League in 2019. He was one of the division's shining lights, taking 46 wickets at 11.37 and scoring 534 runs at 48.55.

In 2022, Kaia ventured to Europe to play for Svanholm Cricketklub in Denmark. This was a fleeting trip, as he was selected to play against Nepal for Zimbabwe A in May 2022, then unfortunately a family bereavement thereafter curtailed chances of a return. He agreed terms with Donemana in Northern Ireland in 2023, but was denied an NOC by Zimbabwe Cricket.

The Zimbabwean all-rounder has been issued an NOC and is now set to play for Bishop's Stortford for their 2024 Hertfordshire League campaign.

(Please note: Due to an ICC suspension, Roy is unable to bowl outside Zimbabwe till further notice. So, Roy will play as a batter only during the UK 2024 season).