World cricket has witnessed the arrival of many talented cricketers from Pakistan till today. They have entertained cricket lovers worldwide over the decades. Another similar name is mentionable in addition is the very talented Mohammad Rizwan.
He is one of the most self-proved crickets his nation has ever had. Even it was easy for him to get a place among the top-ranked batters on the ICC list. However, in this article, we will talk about his impactful introduction to international cricket for the nation and his career till today.
Mohammad Rizwan in Domestic cricket:
On the domestic circuit, Mohammad Rizwan has been a prolific run-accumulator, averaging under 50 in List A cricket and 41 at the first-class level. He does not have the shots required to make him a worthy asset in T20Is, but with that being the strongest suit of Sarfaraz, both as batter and captain, it would have been tough to dislodge him in the format at any cost.
Having made his debut over a long time ago on Pakistan’s domestic levels, Rizwan has been an ever-present player in the Quaid-e-Azam trophy, playing with the SNGPL side successfully, helping his team to three titles in the last 4 years. The reward of a scheduled Test cap in 2016 needs to be increased. He played for Karachi Kings in the PSL, serving as back-up to Chadwick Walton for a few seasons. Still, Rizwan’s career trajectory skyrocketed once Sarfaraz Ahmed was dropped from the side.
Rizwan in International cricket:
For several years, it was heard that Mohammad Rizwan’s international career would only be meant in a parallel universe, racking up domestic scores even as he struggled to get a game on the national side. But for someone who played an international match for the first time in 2 years in January 2019; Rizwan was spoken of remarkably frequently. He was often used as material to threaten Sarfaraz Ahmed. Still, the Peshawar native had qualities that suggested he might have been unlucky not to play for his country more often.
A limited batter but a technically aware keeper when Rizwan first rose through the ranks, he made his international debut just after the 2015 World Cup when the place behind the stumps was still available for grabs. He started brighter against Bangladesh, Zimbabwe, and Sri Lanka averaging nearly 60 with the bat in his first eight innings. Still, against furious opposition, his weaknesses were quickly exposed. A lengthy lathy patch followed, and once he lost his spot to Sarfaraz for the World T20 in 2016, there was little doubt about who Pak’s best wicketkeeper was.
After the flop at the World T20, Sarfaraz was appointed captain of the limited-overs sides. Consequently, Rizwan’s game time was reduced further; coming to a halt until Sarfaraz sat out the last five games on tour to South Africa in January 2019, serving a ban.
T20I World Record
A 95-run-innings in Brisbane in the first Test since being called up got Rizwan off to a good start, but it was the tour to England where he truly cemented his level as Pakistan’s first-choice wicketkeeper. A pair of 50s in Southampton combined with a near-perfect tour behind the stumps suggested that they have found a long-term wicketkeeping solution to Pakistan. Mohammad Rizwan was selected vice-captain of the Test team and fast-tracked into the white ball.
T-20s and Rizwan didn’t seem naturally suited to each other, but 2021 has seen him mock those assumptions with a record-breaking year. He started by smashing an unbeaten 104 against South Africa, followed by seven further 50s that saw him amass the most T-20I runs in a single year by any player. For good measure, he was also the second-highest runscorer at the 2021 Pakistan Super League – behind only his opening partner Babar Azam – and led Multan Sultans to the title.
Rizwan’s international Batting statistics:
If we look at the stat table of Mohammad Rizwan’s batting career till now, it might give us an idea about his international career.
| Matches | Innings | Not out | Runs | Highest | Average | BF | SR | 200s | 100s | 50s | 6s | 4s | |
| Test | 27 | 43 | 07 | 1373 | 115 | 38.14 | 2670 | 51.42 | 00 | 02 | 07 | 06 | 160 |
| ODI | 52 | 47 | 09 | 1247 | 115 | 32.82 | 1444 | 86.36 | 00 | 02 | 08 | 10 | 99 |
| T-20 | 80 | 69 | 15 | 2635 | 104 | 48.8 | 2081 | 126.62 | 00 | 01 | 23 | 69 | 228 |
Wrap lines:
Mohammad Rizwan’s consistency and stability at the top of the order converted what was supposed to be a Pakistan weakness into a Pakistan strength. Rizwan appears to be in the ultimate of his career and one of Pakistan’s most valuable assets heading into the 2021 World T20.
