PAK vs SA: Mohammad Rizwan's innings among slowest in T20I run chases

Pakistan’s white-ball skipper Mohammad Rizwan faced a tough outing in the opening T20I against South Africa at Kingsmead Stadium, Durban, on Tuesday. His 74-run innings off 62 balls resulted in the accumulation of several unwanted records.  

Chasing a target of 184, Rizwan opened for Pakistan but struggled to keep the scoreboard ticking at a required pace. By the 16th over, he had crawled to 46 runs from 49 deliveries, leaving Pakistan with a daunting task of 60 runs needed off the final four overs.  

The right-handed batter finally found some rhythm in the 17th over, smashing two sixes off Kwena Maphaka to bring up his half-century after facing 50 balls. However, his late effort proved insufficient as he was dismissed on the second ball of the final over, leaving the lower order to score 18 runs from four deliveries.  

Despite his struggle, Rizwan emerged as Pakistan’s highest scorer with a knock that included five boundaries and three sixes. However, his strike rate of 119.35 was one of the lowest in his career for a fifty-plus T20I innings.  

Rizwan’s innings also etched his name into several unflattering records. It was the second-slowest 70-run knock by a captain in T20Is, behind Kane Williamson’s 70 off 60 balls against Pakistan in 2016. Furthermore, his 62-ball 74 became the fourth slowest T20I knock by a full-member batter who faced 60 or more balls in a run chase.  

Below is the list of slowest T20I knocks by full-member batters in a run chase involving 60-plus balls:  

Gautam Gambhir (IND) 56* off 60 vs Australia in 2012 
Kane Williamson (NZ) 70 off 60 vs Pakistan in 2016  
Sarfaraz Ahmed (PAK) 76* off 64 vs New Zealand 2014   
Mohammad Rizwan (PAK) 74 off 62 vs South Africa in 2024  
Wesley Madhevere (ZIM) 73* off 61 vs Namibia 2022