After Pakistan’s impressive win over Ireland in the second T20I, Mohammad Rizwan surprised everyone by mentioning India’s star batter, Virat Kohli. Rizwan shared that he has learned a lot from Kohli and holds him in high regard.
Led by captain Babar Azam, Pakistan leveled the T20I series 1-1 by successfully chasing down Ireland’s target of 194 runs. Rizwan played a stellar innings, scoring an unbeaten 75 off just 46 balls, earning him the Player of the Match award as Pakistan won by seven wickets with 19 balls remaining.
Ireland had posted a competitive score of 193/6, thanks to contributions from Lorcan Tucker, Harry Tector, and Gareth Delany. However, a brilliant 140-run partnership between Rizwan and Fakhar Zaman for the third wicket sealed the victory for Pakistan.
In a post-match interview, Rizwan unexpectedly mentioned Kohli, expressing his admiration and respect for the Indian cricketer. He emphasized that they’ve learned valuable lessons from Kohli’s game.
Rizwan also discussed the pressure of playing after a loss and his mindset during challenging chases. He emphasized the importance of focusing on match situations rather than personal statistics.
Pakistan is now gearing up for the third and final T20I against Ireland on May 14 in Dublin, while Kohli continues to showcase his form in the Indian Premier League (IPL), currently leading the season’s run-scoring charts.
The anticipation builds as India and Pakistan prepare to face each other in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, set to take place in the West Indies and the USA. The arch-rivals are scheduled to clash on June 9 in New York as part of Group A matches.