Mohammad Rizwan completes 2,500 T20I runs: Decoding his stats
Mohammad Rizwan has completed 2,500 runs in T20Is. The Pakistan wicket-keeper-batter achieved the milestone against Netherlands in the Super 12 Group 2 match of the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2022. Rizwan scored 49 off 39 deliveries in the game. His knock was laced with five boundaries. As a result, Pakistan recorded an emphatic six-wicket win. Here we decode Rizwan's stats in T20I cricket.
Rizwan leads Pakistan's chase
Rizwan, who scored 14 and 4 in his previous two outings, was under the pump heading into the contest. However, he paced his knock to perfection against the Dutch side. Chasing 92 in Perth, Pakistan lost skipper Babar Azam cheaply. Rizwan, however, batted with intent and kept Netherlands under pressure. As a result, the Men in Green crossed the line in 13.5 overs.
Second-fastest to complete 2,500 runs
Rizwan became the second-fastest batter to complete 2,500 runs, achieving the feat in 65 innings. Only Babar Azam (62) has reached the milestone quicker than his compatriot. Overall, he became the third Pakistani and ninth batter to get the feat. He has so far scored 2,527 runs in 76 matches with his average and strike rate being 50.54 and 127.11, respectively (100s:1, 50s:22).
Rizwan's consistency has been notable
Notably, Rizwan's career average of 50.54 is the second-highest among batters with at least 1,500 runs in T20Is. Only India's Virat Kohli is ahead of him on the list, having scored 3,856 runs at 52.82. No other batter in this category even averages 45.
Sensational run in 2022
Rizwan is currently the leading run-scorer in T20Is this year, having scored 888 runs in 21 matches. The 30-year-old has so far breached the 50-run mark nine times in 2022. While his average reads 49.33, Rizwan has a strike rate of 123.84. Notably, in 2021, Rizwan became the first player to slam over 1,000 T20I runs in a calendar year.
How did the match pan out?
Netherlands' decision of batting first in Perth turned out to be an absolute disaster. Shadab Khan scalped a three-fer, Mohammad Wasim Jr took two wickets as the Dutch side could only post 91/9. In reply, Rizwan led Pakistan's chase as the Men in Green recorded a comfortable six-wicket triumph. It was a must-win game for Pakistan after losing their first two fixtures.
