Brian Bennett did not grow up glued to the television, memorising cover drives or counting centuries. There were no posters on the wall, no childhood declarations of destiny. Instead, there was a cricket net in the backyard, a twin brother at the other end, and hours that quietly stacked into something meaningful.

"I didn't really follow cricket that much when I was young" Bennett tells Cricbuzz from Hambantota where Zimbabwe are having a training camp ahead of the T20 World Cup. "I used to play cricket at school growing up with my brothers and my dad. It was only around under-19s that I started following Zimbabwe cricket properly."

That unassuming beginning says a lot about the cricketer Zimbabwe have found themselves leaning on so early. His twin brother, who played alongside him in the 2022 Under-19 World Cup, was central to those formative years, turning backyard sessions into endless contests. "I got a twin brother that I obviously grew up with," he says. "So my dad bought us a cricket net at home. We always used to play in the nets on the weekends after school or holidays. It was nice. There were two of us. One could bat, one could bowl. We just used to spend hours in the nets together."

Cricket wasn't the only sport competing for his attention. Like many Zimbabwean schoolboys, Bennett grew up multi-skilled playing hockey, squash and rugby as well. In school, it predominantly narrowed down to cricket and hockey. "I went to a good junior school and a good high school here in Zimbabwe," he recalls. "So it was compulsory to play at least two category sports. Mine was cricket and hockey. Cricket in the summer and hockey in the winter. It was quite competitive. We always used to have good matches against a few other schools on the weekends."

Bennett's father, a blueberry farmer, was a cricketer himself who played club cricket and a handful of first-class games for Young Mashonaland. "He played with the likes of Andrew Waller, Dave Houghton, Andy Flower, Grant Flower," Bennett recalls. "Just like club level or sort of like A-league level, I think. So, yeah, he had good stories of playing with some of the Zimbabwean legends like Heath Streak, Henry Olonga."

Despite Zimbabwean cricket's turbulence in the late 2000s around the time Bennett grew up, there was no discouragement from the father when Brian chose the game seriously. "No, definitely not," he says when asked if his father had any concerns. "He always supported me with my decision of wanting to carry on with cricket. Look, I think it's now changed from back how it was then, back in those days. I think it's very competitive now. I think Zimbabwe cricket is in a good space at the moment."

After completing his A-levels at Peterhouse Boys' school in 2021, Bennett spent a year in South Africa to hone his skills further and get to play games at a time when Covid wreaked havoc around the world. "In 2022, I went to Grahamstown in South Africa at Kingswood College. That was more just to sort of get a few sporting events to happen. Obviously, because my last two years of high school were affected by COVID, so there were no sports fixtures or anything. So, it was nice to go out there and spend a year there and play some more school cricket, hockey, a little bit of rugby. So, that was the main reason why we went out there, just to play some more sports."

That rhythm would soon carry him to the global stage. The 2022 Under-19 World Cup remains a cornerstone in Bennett's journey - not just statistically, but emotionally as well. "One of my biggest memories was the 80 (83) against Pakistan," he says. "And a 100-run partnership with my twin brother against West Indies. We couldn't really do anything else other than cricket due to COVID. But yeah, definitely those two memories stick out for me."

The 22-year-old's transition to senior cricket was swift. Making his debut in a T20I in December 2023, Bennett went on to play the other two formats as well within the next 12 months. And now, the youngster already has centuries in all formats of the game - joining Brendan Taylor and Sikandar Raza as the only Zimbabweans to achieve this feat.

His exploits in red-ball cricket in particular have already grabbed eyeballs. A century in his first home Test, twin fifties in his maiden Test in the sub-continent (in Bangladesh) and a spectacular 139 at Trent Bridge in Zimbabwe's first Test in English soil in over two decades. "That was absolutely amazing," he says on his knock at Trent Bridge. "To go out there and play a Test match against England in England for Zimbabwe in I think it was 20 years or so the last time we played England. So, it was more of just sort of soaking in the atmosphere, not too much worrying about what could happen and just taking it ball by ball knowing my processes, knowing where I want to score. And yeah, to play in a packed Trent Bridge crowd with lots of Zimbabweans there as well was very special."

Adapting to different conditions is already a hallmark of his young career. But ask him about technique and you won't get reinvention stories. "I sort of stay with a similar technique," he says. "I just tell myself to just watch the ball and try to get in strong positions, try to keep my head still and play it as late as possible in the red ball format. So I try to keep my game pretty simple. Not try to think about too many things. And that's what I think sort of just helps me get on with the innings."

That simplicity explains his comfort with red-ball cricket despite growing up in the white-ball era. And it's a format he loves playing as per his own admission. "We always used to have two-day matches during school. So it had that longer format. Red ball wasn't new to me. So yeah, Test cricket is probably one of the better formats. I mean, you've got lots of time to get yourself in. It's tough. It tests you mentally and physically. And also just tests your technique."

While his batting has grabbed headlines, Bennett hasn't neglected the rest of his craft. "I do bowl quite a lot in the domestic franchise league down in Zimbabwe," he says. "I do always work on my bowling. I'm not putting all my eggs into batting. But definitely the bowling is getting there." With Zimbabwe returning to the big league again to feature in a global tournament which will be played in spin-friendly conditions, that secondary skill could become crucial. "I'm trying to work on a few things and hopefully, I could get a couple of bowling innings in this World Cup."

Bennett's rise on the international scene has also been rewarded by Zimbabwe Cricket with an elevation to vice-captaincy in Tests and ODIs. "I think it was mainly the board decision. They spoke to me, the coach as well. I accepted it. And now I'm keen to sort of help out where I can. Obviously, it's still vice-captain, so it's not the main role. But it's probably what I would prefer at the moment, rather than being captain. But yeah, it's an exciting role. There are lots of senior players still in the team. So hopefully, you can learn a lot from them. And they can hopefully just improve my cricket as well."

Away from the international circuit, Bennett returns to simpler pleasures. "Back home in Zimbabwe we've got a farm out in Ruwa, just outside of Harare" he says. "So, I can go out there and spend a few days at home with my parents. And also I like to play a lot of golf. That's always a good activity to keep you busy and keep your mind off the game." In Sri Lanka, Bennett prefers heading to the beach when he isn't training. At the back of his mind though, the opener is already plotting upsets - not just in this tournament but beyond.

This World Cup heralds an important era for Zimbabwean cricket. Zimbabwe didn't qualify for the last two ODI World Cups and even missed out on the 2024 T20 World Cup. A good showing here and in the 2027 ODI World Cup at home is vital for them going ahead. "I just want to make Zimbabwe very competitive again, compete against the big teams, compete in every World Cup that comes," Bennett says looking ahead. "I just want to win games for Zimbabwe. Try how hard I can, make us compete against those big teams and even cause some upsets."

There are personal boxes to tick too. AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli are his sporting heroes so it's no secret where he sees himself playing one day. "As a white ball player, I think that's one of the main goals for most people, to make it to the IPL," he acknowledges. "I do watch it every year when I'm at home. My team is RCB. So, yeah definitely the IPL is one of the bucket list things to happen." This World Cup could well be that platform that nudges him closer to realising that dream.