After Pakistan defeated Ireland in the second T20I game, Pakistan’s wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan opened up on the influence of India’s batting icon Virat Kohli. The discussion began when Rizwan was questioned about why he and Kohli were the only two batters with a T20I batting average over 50.
“I respect him; he’s an excellent player and we learnt a lot from him,” Rizwan remarked.
Captain Babar Azam was pleased after Pakistan’s victory by seven wickets in Dublin on Sunday.
“Truly relieved. The batsmen deserve all the praise for how well they are performing. We made the decision to chase in 18 or 19 overs at the end of the innings. Rizwan and Fakhar gathered momentum,” said Babar.
“Good decision, since it was overcast and raining. Bowling was good in the second half, but not at the end. Although 170-180 was a par total, Ireland deserve praise for how they performed in the last three overs.”
Speaking about the importance of Rizwan’s innings, Babar stated that “He is a seasoned player who plays according to the situations. It was important for us to counterattack. We are excited about the upcoming game and will give it everything we have. We haven’t played since 2016, we are thrilled. The game was crowded. I would like all of our fans to show up and cheer us.”
The final match between Ireland and Pakistan will be played on May 14.
