Mohammad Rizwan

Mohammad Rizwan is a Pakistani international cricketer who was born on 1 June 1992 in Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Rizwan is a right-handed wicket-keeper batsman who has represented the national side in all three formats of the game and not only that, he is one of the few players to have scored a century in all three formats of the game as well. Rizwan currently plays for Multan Sultans in the Pakistan Super League and he is also the vice-captain of the national Test team.

Rizwan started his professional cricketing career playing for domestic List-A and T20 side Peshawar Panthers in 2008. He went on to play first-class cricket for Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited in 2011. Playing for the same side in the 2014-15 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy final, Rizwan scored 224-runs in the first innings to help his side get a 301-run first-innings lead and eventually get them to their second title. In the PSL, Rizwan was bought by Lahore Qalandars for the inaugural edition in 2016. He stayed with them for the 2017 edition as well before moving to Karachi Kings. Rizwan stayed with the franchise till 2020. He then went on to play for Multan Sultan in the 2021 edition and replaced Shan Masood as the captain of the side. Rizwan led the franchise to their first-ever PSL title and was named Wicketkeeper of the Tournament as well.

Rizwan made his international debut for Pakistan in an ODI against Bangladesh on 17 April 2015 and scored a blistering 67 runs off 58 balls. In the same series, he also made his T20I debut on the 24th of April. Rizwan made his Test debut on 25 November 2016 against New Zealand and was out for a golden duck in his maiden Test innings. After a bumpy start to his international career, Rizwan became one of the 33 players to be awarded a central contract by the PCB in 2018. Rizwan also captained the Pakistan team at ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup in 2018.

In March 2019, during the second ODI against Australia, Rizwan scored his first century in an ODI match, making 115 runs. In July, he was shortlisted in Pakistan’s 20-man squad for the Test matches against England. He had an excellent Test series, both with the bat and gloves, managing to score 161 runs with two-half centuries, therefore, cementing his place as first choice wicket-keeper in Test matches, above the returning former captain Sarfaraz Ahmed. He was named as Pakistan’s player of the Test series. In December 2020, Rizwan was named as the captain of Pakistan’s Test side for the first match against New Zealand. He replaced Babar Azam after he was ruled out due to an earlier injury.

In February 2021, in Pakistan’s series against South Africa, Rizwan scored his first century in Test cricket, with an unbeaten 115 as he was awarded the player of the series. In the same series against South Africa, Rizwan scored his first century in T20I cricket, with an unbeaten 104 including 6 boundaries and 7 sixes. He also became the first wicketkeeper-batsman for Pakistan to score a century in T20I cricket and became only the second wicketkeeper-batsman after Brendon McCullum to score centuries in all three formats of international cricket.

In April 2021, during the third T20I between Pakistan and South Africa, he along with Babar Azam made a 197-run partnership for the opening wicket which is also the highest partnership for Pakistan in T20Is. It was also the highest-ever partnership for any wicket by a pair in T20I cricket while chasing. In September 2021, he was named in Pakistan’s squad for the 2021 ICC T20 World Cup. In December 2021, in the third match against the Windies, Rizwan became the first batter to score 2,000 runs in T20 cricket in a calendar year. For an exceptional year, he was one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 2021.