We have seen a father-duo son playing. We have seen siblings play for the same team. We have even seen twins be a part of the playing XI. But the feat achieved by Ivonne Vildosola might go down as the rarest one to have been seen yet.
History was being made on 25th April, 2026. Costa Rica Women were hosting Chile Women in the second of a 3-match T20I series in Guacima. Ivonne Vildosola, aged 70 years and 145 days, was playing her first match in international cricket. Yes, you read it right – at a ripe age of 70.
It actually started somewhere around 7 years ago, when in 2019, Chile women’s team had organized an event called Mothers and Daughters, to encourage people to participate in the sport. Camile Oyarce, aged 16 and keen to participate, coaxed her grandmother to play, and despite the event being staged for mothers and daughters, Vildosola was given permission.
It was a fun event, but slowly, the grandmother started to get interest in playing the sport. Her granddaughter left no stone unturned to motivate her, and voila, the dream did come true 7 years later. Vildosola has now become the oldest active international cricketer across genders, breaking the record held by 68-year-old Sally Barton from Gibraltar, created in 2025.
It is interesting to know what the duo felt like, actually. While Oyarce was and continues to be overjoyed to see her granny be a part of international cricket, Vildosola said that she genuinely felt that she was supposed to be cooking for the event, which featured her granddaughter’s friends! Ahhh… how life brings its twists and turns.
Understandably, Vildosola prefers to be a batter, as her joints don’t allow her to bowl. It is a different story that she didn’t manage a single run in either of her 2 WT20Is, but what is more important is the message. Age is just a number.
It also highlights the lack of facilities for cricket in Chile. It is not a very popular sport here and mostly beach cricket is what is played in this country. But in a possibly weird manner, people across the globe are taking a notice of this nation. Let’s hope it opens the door for more players to feature in future.
The fact that Oyarce was the captain of the side made it even more special for her grandmother. What started as a fun activity with a plastic bat and tennis ball had now taken the family to the international arena. Debuting at 70, Vildosola became the second oldest player after Raja Maharaj Singh, who made his first-class debut at the age of 72, in 1950-51.
Cricket, as a sport, has always been special. And when we hear, see or read stories such as these, it provides us a different level of inspiration and imagination. We don’t know what life has in store for us – but if we keep trying, there is nothing that we cannot achieve.
Add Comment