Mohammad Rizwan: Overrated or Underrated?

Mohammad Rizwan has been a subject of fan conversations for much of his senior career. Fans are divided over his performances, and some believe he may be an overrated player riding on the input of others. However, other sets of fans believe Rizwan is an underrated addition to Pakistan’s team and doesn’t get much credit for what he offers.

There’s only one way to settle this debate – looking at the numbers. Mohammad Rizwan has been an active senior cricketer since 2015, so there’s a lot of data to back up his performances, or lack thereof. Let’s see what the numbers say about Pakistan’s current T20 vice-captain and star player.

Top Mohammad Rizwan Records

Mohammad Rizwan currently registers decent numbers as a cricketer, especially in Twenty20 (T20) cricket. The skilled player has set some records in recent years to put his name among conversations of top cricketers. See some of his top on-field achievements below:

1. 200 runs and 10 wicketkeeping dismissals in a series – One-Day Internationals

Few players have been able to match a double-century of runs and at least ten dismissals in a single ODI series. Mohammad Rizwan has accomplished this, joining an elite list of cricketers from all around the world.

2. 4th most player-of-the-series awards – Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is)

Rizwan is in the top five of players in T20Is when you consider most valuable cricketers in a series. With four (4) awards, Rizwan continues to make his mark as one of Pakistan’s top cricketers of all time.

3. 7th Most catches in career – Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is)

Rizwan has made 41 total catches so far in T20Is, cementing his status as one of the world’s greatest players in this format. The experienced cricketer amassed over 3-dozen catches in less than a decade, something many veterans could not achieve throughout their playing career.

4. Fastest to 2000 runs – Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is)

It took Rizwan only 52 games to put together 2000 runs in T20Is, a remarkable feat in one of cricket’s most-demanding formats. He continues to string several impressive performances in this format and partners with other talented cricketers to boost his run rate.

5. Most runs in a calendar year – Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is)

Rizwan managed to score 1326 runs in a calendar year to set this impressive T20I record. His outstanding performance as a T20I professional has helped Pakistan to become one of the format’s most formidable teams. In recent years, his partnership with experienced players like Babar Azam has brought success to the Men in Green throughout T20I competitions.

6. 3rd highest career batting average – Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is)

Rizwan’s 48.8 career batting average in T20Is is the format’s third-highest haul. He continues to perform in this format and could beat his earlier-set record to leapfrog the top two cricketers currently leading in the category.

7. 4th Most fifties in career – Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is)

Twenty-seven (27) fifties in T20Is show that Rizwan is one of Pakistan’s most underrated players. The skilled cricketer could beat his earlier record with stellar performances in future T20Is.

8. 9th Most fours in career – Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is)

Rizwan has 255 fours on record as of January 24, 2024 in T20Is alone. Not much needs to be said as the current stat speaks for itself.

Mohammad Rizwan Career Stats

Mohammad Rizwan Batting and Fielding Stats

FORMAT	Mat	Inns	NO	Runs	HS	Ave	BF	SR	100s	50s	4s	6s	Ct	St
Tests	30	48	8	1616	115	40.4	3010	53.6	2	9	179	11	76	3
ODIs	74	67	15	2088	131	40.15	2325	89.8	3	13	180	21	76	3
T20Is	90	78	17	2981	104	48.86	2337	127.5	1	26	255	81	44	11
FC	115	176	29	6381	224	43.4	11841	53.8	13	32	757	24	315	18
List A	173	159	41	5721	141	48.48	6378	89.6	12	31	499	63	169	19
T20s	244	214	51	7146	110	43.84	5620	127.1	2	60	638	188	158	45