The death of Muhammad Mahdi, the 13-year-old younger brother of Zimbabwe's T20 skipper and cricketing sensation Sikandar Raza, has been a disheartening development for the whole cricket fraternity in Zimbabwe and beyond. It was confirmed this week that the boy has passed away, which is indeed a very tragic development that has affected even the non-cricketing world.

Zimbabwe Cricket pays tribute as captain reacts with heartfelt gesture

Zimbabwe Cricket's official response to the news was immediate. The organization released a condolence statement via its social media channels. The board, in turn, expressed its most sincere condolences to Raza and his family, referring to the loss as extremely sorrowful.

“Muhammad Mahdi passed away on 29 December 2025 in Harare,” the statement read. “He was born with haemophilia but unfortunately, he could not survive the recent and serious health complications that he went through. He was buried on 30 December at Warren Hills Cemetery in Harare. The ZC Board, Management, Players and Staff are all together in support of Sikandar Raza and his family during this incredibly hard time. May Allah ease their pain and give them strength, and may Muhammad Mahdi’s soul find peace forever.”

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Raza himself was very quiet but still very emotional in acknowledging all the support that has been coming through. He replied to a post by Zimbabwe Cricket with a broken heart emoji which was indeed a very powerful gesture showing the extent of his sorrow.

💔 https://t.co/zNCVlBBKVB

— Sikandar Raza (@SRazaB24) December 31, 2025

Zimbabwe's new captain is in a tough spot where he has to reconcile with his overwhelming loss

The personal misfortune coincides with a very tough time in Raza's professional life. The experienced player was recently engaged with the Sharjah Warriorz in the ILT20 2025, where he had a participation in 10 games, netting 171 runs and taking 10 wickets. His performances once more proved that he is among the most reliable all-rounders in T20 cricket.

However, they will turn their focus on Raza's part in ICC T20 World Cup 2026, which is taking place in February, despite the loss that can't be credited to anything else. Being the backbone of Zimbabwe's squad, his guidance will be extremely important at a global level.

Cricket will have to wait, but the global cricket community's thoughts and prayers would be with Sikandar Raza and his family during this incredibly sorrowful period.