PAK vs AUS: Not Virat Kohli or Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan becomes first player to score 1000 T20I runs in a calendar year

Pakistan opener Rizwan, who has been rock solid in the tournament, once again fired at the top. He shared another crucial partnership with skipper Babar Azam. The right-handed batsman then completed 1000 runs in T20International cricket this calendar year. Now, he has gone past India’s Virat Kohli and Azam for the special record.

He began the innings cautiously as he looked under pressure in the opening over. Once, he got dropped by David Warner, Rizwan didn’t look back as she started to dominate the likes of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood.

First to score 1000+ runs in a calendar year:

Tests – Clem Hill (1902, 1060 runs)
ODIs – David Gower (1983, 1086 runs)
T20Is – Mohammad Rizwan (2021, 1009* runs)

• Rizwan shared a 70 runs partnership with Babar Azam for opening wicket.
• He smashed fifty off just 41 balls that comprised 2 fours and 3 sixes.
• He went on to score 67 runs off 52 balls that took the game away from the Aussies.
• He has so far scored 3 fifties in the ongoing T20 World Cup, only one behind skipper Babar Azam.
• He came out to bat even after suffering from fever and mild flu that ruled him out of practice on Wednesday.