Pakistan’s white-ball captain, Mohammad Rizwan, played a crucial but measured innings in the first T20I against South Africa at Kingsmead on Tuesday, but his efforts weren’t enough as Pakistan lost by 11 runs. Chasing a target of 184, Rizwan scored 74 runs off 62 balls, anchoring Pakistan’s innings but ultimately falling short as the team finished at 172/6.
Rizwan’s knock featured eight boundaries and three sixes, but his cautious approach, particularly in the first 16 overs, slowed Pakistan’s run chase. By the 16th over, he had scored 46 runs off 49 balls, leaving Pakistan needing 60 runs from the final 24 deliveries. Though Rizwan accelerated with two sixes in the 17th over, he reached his half-century in 50 balls and was dismissed in the final over, leaving Pakistan unable to chase the target.
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His strike rate of 119.35 in this innings was notably slow. It was the second-lowest strike rate for a 70+ score by a T20I captain, trailing Kane Williamson, who had scored 70 off 60 balls against Pakistan in 2016. Additionally, Rizwan’s 62-ball 74 placed him fourth on the list of slowest T20I innings by a full-member player during a chase.
Despite his late surge, Rizwan’s slow start was a key factor in Pakistan falling short of the target.
