Mohammad Rizwan

Mohammad Rizwan is a Pakistani wicketkeeper-batsman and the captain of the national T20 side, regarded as one of the best openers in the format. Born on 1 June 1992 in Peshawar, he worked his way up through domestic cricket over a decade before establishing himself in the national team.

Career

Rizwan made his international debut in 2015 but became a regular only in 2019-20, after which he transformed into one of the most consistent batsmen in the world. In 2021 he scored over 1,300 T20I runs in a calendar year — a world record — and was named the ICC Men's T20I Cricketer of the Year. His record-breaking opening partnerships with Babar Azam made Pakistan's T20 batting formidable, and he was a key figure in Pakistan's run to the 2021 T20 World Cup semi-final and the 2022 final.

In 2024 he was appointed captain of Pakistan's T20 side and led the team in the 2024 T20 World Cup. He has also been a dependable Test batsman, scoring centuries in England, Australia and the UAE.

Personal life

Rizwan is widely respected for his devout faith, famously winning hearts in 2021 when he requested to bring the Australian team's quarantine chef onto his own plane after Australia pulled out of a tour. He remains one of the most popular and admired cricketers in Pakistan, both for his batting and his character.