Virat Kohli and Mohammed Rizwan. (Photo Source: X(Twitter)
Pakistan opener Mohammad Rizwan unexpectedly named India’s star batter Virat Kohli after his team’s convincing win over Ireland in the second T20I of the three-match series. Rizwan revealed that he has learned a lot from the modern-day great and respects him.
The Babar Azam-led side leveled the T20I series 1-1 after chasing down a 194-run target against the Irish side with relative ease. Rizwan was awarded the Player of the Match for scoring an unbeaten 75 off just 46 balls to guide his team to a seven-wicket win with 19 balls to spare.
After being put into bat first, the hosts had posted a competitive 193/6, thanks to some handy contributions from Lorcan Tucker (51), Harry Tector (32), and Gareth Delany (28). However, Rizwan and Fakhar Zaman’s (78) 140-run partnership for the third wicket deflated the home team’s hopes.
After the match, Rizwan surprised everyone by bringing up Kohli’s name out of nowhere. “About Kohli, he is a good player and we learned a lot from him, I respect him,” he said.
Also read: Pakistan bounce back to go one-all at Dublin
I don’t look at my numbers: Mohammad Rizwan
Rizwan was also asked about the pressure of playing after a loss and his mindset while chasing a big total. The 31-year-old responded by downplaying personal averages, stating they don’t matter much compared to match situations.
“If you look at the whole match, they played well. So, have to credit them guys. Chasing 194 was not easy as Ireland knew the conditions and they gave difficult time early on but we decided to attack and this is why we were successful. You always feel pressure when we lose. I don’t look at my numbers. If you look at the average, you are an average player,” he added.
Also read: Former skipper Younis Khan advises Pakistan after Ireland defeat
Pakistan will prepare for the third and final T20I match against Ireland, scheduled for May 14 in Dublin,l. Meanwhile, Kohli is currently playing the Indian Premier League (IPL). He has been in remarkable form and is currently the highest run-scorer of the season with 661 runs to his name.
India and Pakistan are gearing up to face each other in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, which will be held in the West Indies and the USA. The arch-rivals have been placed in Group A, and their highly-anticipated clash is scheduled to take place on June 9 in New York.