England’s veteran allrounder and 2010 T20 World Cup winner Ravi Bopara proved age is just a number, smashing an unbeaten 46-ball 105 to power Northamptonshire Steelbacks into the semifinals of the T20 Blast 2025. At 40, Bopara showed his class once again in a rain-curtailed quarterfinal against Surrey, a performance that earned him the Player of the Match award.
The match was reduced to 14 overs per side due to rain, and Northamptonshire posted 154 for 4 with Bopara leading the way. His brilliant knock was laced with 12 fours and five sixes. He walked in very early after Jordan Clark dismissed Ricardo Vasconcelos and captain David Willey in the first over. While Tim Robinson initially steadied the innings, once he departed, Bopara unleashed an aggressive assault on Gus Atkinson and Sam Curran. He completed his fifty in 24 balls and completed his century in the final over, reaching 105 from 46 deliveries.
Surrey falls short
Set 155 to win, Surrey also lost early wickets, with Willey removing Ryan Patel and Ben Sanderson dismissing Jason Roy. Ollie Pope and Sam Curran mounted a recovery with a 74-run partnership for the third wicket. Pope scored a breezy 41 from 23 balls before George Scrimshaw dismissed him, eventually striking again to remove Dan Lawrence and Laurie Evans. Despite Curran’s unbeaten 69 off 38 balls, Surrey ran out of support at the other end and finished with 147 for 6, losing the match by seven runs.
ALSO READ – ‘Owns Half Of Kent…’: Who is This Wealthy Yet ‘Simple’ Former CSK Guy, R Ashwin Reveals
Bopara reflects on his knock
Speaking after the game, Bopara said he was delighted with the win and explained the team’s mindset going into the rain-affected clash. “It was an amazing win. We knew there was going to be a bit of rain about, and we knew that this pitch might nibble at the start, but our philosophy was ‘just keep going’ and it will come off. And today it did. We’re always going to stick with it. Because if someone has a day out, you end up posting a score like that. If someone gets a quick 80 or 100, you’re away.”
Asked about his approach to batting, Bopara admitted he thrives even when not fully motivated. “I don’t know if I’m getting better, but I was thinking about it all night. I didn’t have that fire in my belly today, and that’s when I prefer it, when I feel a bit dead. That’s when I feel like I’m going to perform my best. It doesn’t always work, but [when it does] it’s good.