Muhammad Rizwan breaks Babar, Kohli’s record in T20Is

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan wicket-keeper batter Muhammad Rizwan created history on Saturday by breaking the record of captain Babar Azam and India star batter Virat Kohli in T20Is.

During the second T20I against New Zealand here, Muhammad Rizwan became the fastest batter to score 3000 runs in T20Is, surpassing his national team captain Babar and India’s Kohli.

Kohli and Azam are the joint-fastest to score 3000 runs in T20I cricket, taking 81 innings each, followed by Australia’s Aaron Finch who took 98 innings.

The wicket-keeper batter amassed this record in 79 innings, with his match-winning 45-run knock against the Blackcaps in Saturday’s match.

Meanwhile, Babar Azam is closing in on Virat Kohli’s record for the most runs in T20I cricket. Azam has scored 3,698 runs in T20I cricket and is third among the highest run-scorers in the format.

Kohli tops the list with 4,037, followed by his teammate Rohit Sharma, who has amassed 3,974 runs.

Azam needs 340 runs in five games to become the highest-scorer as well as the second batter to surpass the 4000-run mark in T20I cricket.

It is pertinent to mention here that a combined bowling effort by Pakistan bowlers, followed by Mohammad Rizwan’s composed innings crushed New Zealand by seven wickets in the second T20I of the five-match series here at Pindi Cricket Stadium.

Chasing a meagre 91-run target, Pakistan successfully chased the total in 12.1 overs when Rizwan hit Cole McConchie for a boundary over square leg.

PLAYING XIs

Pakistan: Babar Azam (c), Saim Ayub, Mohammad Rizwan, Usman Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Amir, Abrar Ahmed.

New Zealand: Michael Bracewell (c), Mark Chapman, Jacob Duffy, Dean Foxcroft, Ben Lister, Cole McConchie, James Neesham, Tim Robinson, Ben Sears, Tim Seifert (wk), Ish Sodhi