Pakistan's wicketkeeper-batter Mohammed Rizwan shared his perspective on his batting average in T20I cricket, emphasizing his focus on contributing to the team's success rather than dwelling on personal statistics. Rizwan's batting average of 50.38 in T20Is places him among the select few with such a high average in the format, second only to India's Virat Kohli who boasts an average of 51.8.
'If You Look At Average, You're An Average Player'
"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 a difficult time early on but we decided to attack, which is why we were successful. You always feel pressure when we lose," Rizwan said.
"I don't look at my numbers, if you look at the average, you are an average player. If you look at the match situation and the conditions then it's better." Rizwan added.
Rizwan played a crucial role in Pakistan's victory in the 2nd T20I against Ireland on May 12, which leveled the ongoing 3-match series at 1-1. His unbeaten knock of 75 runs from 46 balls, alongside Fakhar Zaman's 78 off 40 balls, guided Pakistan to a 7-wicket win over Ireland at the Clontarf Cricket Club Ground in Dublin.
Despite the early dismissals of Saim Ayub and skipper Babar Azam, Rizwan and Zaman steadied the Pakistan innings while chasing a target of 194 against Ireland. Rizwan's consistent performances in T20Is have seen him accumulate 327 runs in his last 9 innings, establishing himself as a key figure in the Pakistani lineup ahead of the 2024 T20 World Cup.
In a post-match press conference, Rizwan reiterated his focus on contributing to the team's success rather than individual accolades, reflecting on Pakistan's performance against Ireland. He also addressed comparisons between himself and Virat Kohli, particularly regarding their impressive T20I batting averages.