Mohammad Rizwan, who scored a match-winning 79 not out to help Pakistan defeat India by 10 wickets in the ICC T20 World Cup 2021, recalled a funny interaction with former captain Virat Kohli when India were batting. The instance took place when Kohli and Rishabh Pant were trying to rebuild the Indian Innings.
“Some things are part of tactics. No doubt Virat Kohli is world’s No. 1. When we play cricket, it’s like family. I remember when we took the review against Pant when he played the reverse sweep, he (Kohli) said… ‘what are you doing? Getting everyone out inside 10 overs?’ But like I said, these are tactics. Later, when I walked out to bat, I spoke to him then too. Rest, whatever chats took place inside the change room, I can’t disclose but I can say that he’s a very nice person,” Rizwan told Paktv.tv.
“I haven’t really given comparisons too much importance. I am only focussed on improving my game. Initially, I used to idolise Tendulkar and then AB de Villiers, but it’s not like I would like to copy them. Yes, I have learnt a lot of things watching them play. As far as learning from Pakistani legends is concerned, I have picked certain things from Misbah, Malik, Hafeez and others,” he added.
The visuals of Kohli hugging Rizwan that emerged during the India-Pakistan T20 World Cup match made rounds on social media. Even though Pakistan beat India for the first time in a World Cup match, those pictures won hearts all over the world as there were no hostility between the two nations on the pitch.
Rizwan was declared Pakistan’s most valuable cricketer of 2021. He had a stellar year in which he scored record-breaking 1,326 T20I runs besides accounting for 56 batters behind the wickets across all formats. Rizwan was also unanimously selected by an independent panel as the T20I Cricketer of the Year by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). Needless to say, Rizwan’s upward graph has helped him draw comparisons with several greats of the game, but the wicketkeeper batter isn’t bothered by it.
