Yesterday at Eden Park he took a large step up to vividly demonstrate his talents on the international stage and effectively grab himself the No3 batting position for March's world twenty20.
To upstage Martin Guptill in his current rare form takes some doing.
Munro did it with ease, smearing a 14-ball half-century to send New Zealand hurtling to a nine-wicket win, clinch the T20 series 2-0 and give himself and his team another serious jolt of self-belief.
Guptill held the New Zealand T20 record for quickest 50 at 19 balls for about 20 minutes before Munro rushed to his 50 in five fewer balls.
Only Indian Yuvraj Singh's 12-ball effort against England in Durban in 2007 - six sixes in one Stuart Broad over helped - is faster.
On 40, New Zealand needed six to win. Munro was set to fall short of the half-century. Instead, he clobbered a four over cover, then lifted the next ball - the last of the 10th over - into the crowd at mid wicket.
The left-hander, who bristles with aggression at the crease no matter what form of game he is playing, insists he knew nothing of the relevant numbers.
‘‘I just wanted to try and be there at the end,'' the 28-year-old said last night.
‘‘It's a role I've been given, especially when we're chasing those smaller targets, so you don't leave it up to someone else. I just think it was on Kane [Williamson] and I try to see it through to the end.''
Chasing Sri Lanka's inadequate, but potentially awkward, 142 for eight, captain Williamson watched Guptill roar to his half-century, clobbering the third of his five sixes into the crowd at long on.
Then he looked on as Munro blitzed seven sixes in 14 balls. Williamson finished on 32 off a slick 21 balls but he quipped that while the other might have looked to be batting in the highlights, ‘‘I don't think I was in those''.
‘‘Honestly, it was incredible. I thought it was going to be a bit of a scrap, the way Angelo [Mathews, 81 not out off 49 balls] was outstanding.
‘‘I'm not sure what those two [Guptill and Munro] had for breakfast but it was unbelievable to watch. Guppy's been doing it all summer and to see ‘Munners' was pretty special.''
Sri Lanka needed early wickets. When they did not come, it did not have a prayer.
It lost the test series 2-0, the ODIs 3-1 and now the version at which it was, until yesterday, rated best 2-0.
It has also lost its No1 ranking on the strength of yesterday's result. The West Indies is now top, on points difference, and Australia is second.
There were several airport shots from the Sri Lankans, the bags packed and ready to go.
Mathews saved his best, on a poor tour for a class performer, until the last. Without his contribution, New Zealand would have won in about five overs.
Innocuous seems the right word for Grant Elliott's medium pacers, but four for 22 sounds better than that. They are easily his best T20 figures and he benefited from misjudged million-dollar shots.
Want to pick a hole? Some of the ground fielding was a touch sloppy, but you cannot have everything.
Pieces in the puzzle - Munro at No3, Ross Taylor as a finisher at No5 - look to be falling into place.
Next up is Pakistan, starting at the same ground on Friday night.
