Mohammad Rizwan Marks 100th ODI with Match-Winning Knock

RAWALPINDI: Mohammad Rizwan, the wicketkeeper-batter of Pakistan, made his 100th One-Day International (ODI) appearance on Sunday, in the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

He marked the occasion with an unbeaten, even more unforgettable, right-handed batsman, who scored an unbeaten 61 off 92 balls, his 19th ODI half-century, and helped Pakistan secure a comfortable win.

Rizwan made his ODI debut in 2015 against Bangladesh in Mirpur and is now the 33rd Pakistani to reach 100 ODI matches.

This win makes him one of several legends, among whom are Imran Khan, Javed Miandad, Inzamam-ul-Haq, and Wasim Akram, as well as modern stars such as Shahid Afridi, Babar Azam, Mohammad Hafeez, and Shoaib Malik.

Shahid Afridi is also the record holder among the Pakistani ODI stalwarts (398 appearances), with Inzamam-ul-Haq coming at 378 and Wasim Akram at 356.

In an announcement issued by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), the white-ball head coach of the Pakistan cricket team eulogized this feat of Rizwan.

“All right, boys, it’s a special occasion when anyone plays their first game for Pakistan, but today we’ve got a player who’s playing his 100th,” Hesson said.

“He’s brought a heck of a lot of energy, desire, and skill to Pakistan, and I’m sure there’s plenty more ahead. But, Riz, congratulations, mate, 100 games today.”

Rizwan is climbing the statistical charts and is currently the fourth-highest ODI run scorer among Pakistan wicketkeepers with 2921 runs to date. Moin Khan leads with 3,266 runs, followed by Kamran Akmal and Umar Akmal.

In wicketkeeping dismissals, Rizwan has 106 in 79 innings, ranking him fifth behind Moin Khan (287), Rashid Latif (220), Kamran Akmal (187), and Sarfaraz Ahmed (143).