World T20: Mohammad Rizwan surpasses Rohit Sharma’s record

NEW YORK: Wicket-keeper and batter, Mohammad Rizwan etched his name in ICC Men’s T20 World Cup history during the recent match against Canada on Tuesday by securing the first half-century for the Pakistani team in the ongoing tournament.

The half-century also propelled him to surpass the record previously held by Indian captain Rohit Sharma.

Read more: Live updates: Pakistan face Canada in ‘do or die’ T20 World Cup 2024 match

At the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, Rizwan displayed his batting prowess by amassing 53 runs. The half-century not only distinguished him as the first Pakistani batter to achieve a half-century in the current World Cup but also marked his 30th fifty-plus score in T20I cricket as an opener.

He achieved this in just 71 innings, eclipsing Rohit Sharma’s previous record of reaching 30 fifty-plus scores in 118 innings.

In a rather twisted irony, Rizwan’s half-century also carried an unexpected distinction. While it propelled him past Rohit Sharma’s record, it also emerged as the slowest half-century in the annals of the T20 World Cup.

The Man in Green surpassed South Africa’s David Miller, who previously held the record with a fifty scored in 50 balls against the Netherlands in the same tournament.

Read more: ICC T20 World Cup: South Africa beat Bangladesh

In the match against Canada, Pakistan won the the toss and elected to bowl first.

The Green Shirts bowlers played really well, restricting Canada to a modest total of 106 at a loss of seven wickets. Mohammad Amir, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Haris Rauf delivered good performances with the ball.

Despite a challenging start in their chase, Pakistan eventually achieved the target in 17.3 overs, with Rizwan’s half-century steering them to victory.