T20 Blast 2026: Worcestershire Sign Sikandar Raza as Replacement for Ben Dwarshuis

In an attempt to win the T20 Blast for the first time in seven years, Worcestershire is bolstering its team by adding Zimbabwe skipper Sikandar Raza to replace Ben Dwarshuis. In the previous season's Blast, Dwarshuis contributed with the bat and claimed 18 wickets for Worcestershire.

At the T20 World Cup, which is being hosted in India and Sri Lanka, Raza, who has played more than 300 international matches for Zimbabwe in all formats, guided his team to an incredible 23-run victory over Australia in Colombo on Friday. The all-rounder has a stellar record with the ball, having claimed over 230 wickets in his T20 career on both the domestic and international stages, and he has a T20 best score of 133* for Zimbabwe. Raza, 39, said he was thrilled to be joining Worcestershire and was looking forward to the Vitality Blast season beginning later this summer.

T20 Blast 2026 Replacement Update:

🔏📝 | Sikandar Raza

Sikandar Raza will be linking up with Worcestershire CC for the T20 Blast in 2026! 🏏#SikandarRaza#WorcestershireCC#T20Blast#BSC#OneTeamOneDream#StemSportspic.twitter.com/ds8rK29aE7

— Stem Sports (@Stemsports1) February 13, 2026

🔏📝 | Sikandar Raza

Sikandar Raza will be linking up with Worcestershire CC for the T20 Blast in 2026! 🏏#SikandarRaza#WorcestershireCC#T20Blast#BSC#OneTeamOneDream#StemSportspic.twitter.com/ds8rK29aE7

— Stem Sports (@Stemsports1) February 13, 2026

Usama Mir, a Pakistani leg-spinner who inked a long-term contract last year, and Fateh Singh, a former England Under-19 left-arm spinner, will round up Worcestershire's overseas team. Raza has previous T20 Blast experience, having played for Manchester Originals in The Hundred and Northamptonshire in 2024. After winning the T20 Blast in 2018 and finishing second in 2019, Worcestershire has struggled in the competition, making it to the quarterfinals just once in the previous six seasons.

ESPNcricinfo quotes Raza saying, "I am delighted to be joining Worcestershire Rapids this summer and to be playing in a T20 competition that I really enjoy. I have loved my time in England whenever I have played there previously, so I can't wait to get started this summer and link up with the squad."

Head coach Alan Richardson said, "Sikandar's stats in T20 cricket speak for themself and as a side who want to kick on in the Vitality Blast and challenge for the trophy, we know the importance of having real quality in key areas. With Ben [Dwarshuis] unable to join us, we wanted to make sure that we had someone with an international pedigree and who could impact the game in all three facets, so we were very keen to get Sikandar on board as soon as we knew he was available."

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