Mohammad Rizwan has been a steady lantern in the age of flashy neon lights. The wicket-keeper batsman's penchant for scoring big runs is helping Pakistan win crucial games and his hunger for helping Pakistan in crises situations is having a ripple effect on the entire team. His preservation, hard work, determination, and consistent performances have paved the way for him to break into ICC T20I top ten batsmen rankings for the first time in his career.
He has leapt from the 15th spot to number 10, displacing Afghanistan's Hazratullah. The hallmark of Rizwan's batting is how he circumvents on any batting track and somehow finds a way to score runs. Rizwan holds his end and puts a hefty price on his wicket. He may not be as aesthetically pleasing as Babar Azam, but he has been mighty effective up the order and providing Pakistan with brisk starts and solid foundation, often masking the meek middle order.
Rizwan was the architect behind Pakistan's first and T20I series decider victories against the Proteas and thereon against Zimbabwe, on a slow-track where most of Pakistan's batsmen struggled, once again Rizwan led the way in the first and final T20I, ensuring there was no hiccup along the way. In the third T20I against spirited Zimbabwe, Rizwan scored a prolific unbeaten knock of 91 runs.
The 28-year-old Peshawar born is endowed with nerves of steel and it was in late 2020 during the New Zealand tour when Rizwan started to hog the limelight with his gritty performances. Recently named as the Wisden Cricketer of The Year award, Rizwan is being rated as one of the best modern-day wicket-keeper batsmen in the world.
In 36 T20Is, Rizwan has piled 843 runs at a staggering average of 44.36 and he has already struck six fifties and a century. With a terrific record in his young career, the 28-year-old is set to win many laurels for Pakistan and tumble numerous records as he goes from strength to strength.
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