Usman Khawaja made a spectacular return to the Big Bash League, scoring 78 off 48 balls to guide Brisbane Heat to a seven-wicket win over Sydney Thunder on January 10. On reaching his fifty—his first in three years in the BBL—Khawaja celebrated with Steve Smith’s signature V-grip gesture, paying tribute to his former Australian teammate and captain.

Chasing 181, Khawaja outshone David Warner’s 82 for the Thunder, putting on a 57-run opening stand with Jake Wildermuth and later a 93-run partnership with Matt Renshaw to seal the victory with 22 balls to spare. He struck seven fours and three sixes and was named Player of the Match.

Khawaja, who recently retired from Tests and missed the Ashes Test at WACA, said he simply loves batting and enjoyed the energy from the Brisbane crowd. “Being out there and soaking it all in was special,” he said, adding that he focused on finding his rhythm rather than worrying about the format.

The southpaw will next face Steve Smith when Brisbane Heat take on Sydney Sixers on January 18, with Mitchell Starc also returning to the lineup.