'Getting everyone out inside 10 overs?' – Mohammad Rizwan recalls funny exchange with Virat Kohli during T20 World Cup match

History was scripted in last year’s T20 World Cup as Pakistan defeated arch-rivals India for the very first time in a World Cup match. The Men in Green were on a roll that day as they thrashed India by 10 wickets at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Nothing really went India’s way as most of their batters couldn’t make a mark. On the other hand, none of the bowlers could take a single wicket.

Mohammad Rizwan was one of the chief architects of Pakistan’s sensational win. The wicketkeeper-batter, who scored 79, stitched an unbeaten 152-run stand with skipper Babar Azam to take his side over the line. Recalling the game, Rizwan shared a funny anecdote involving the then Indian skipper Virat Kohli and wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant.

After a top-order collapse, Kohli and Pant tried to steady the ship for the Indian team. In the middle of this, the wicketkeeper got away with a close LBW shout as he attempted to play a reverse-sweep. What followed next was Kohli’s candid reaction as revealed by Rizwan.

Virat Kohli is a very nice person: Mohammad Rizwan

“Some things are part of tactics. No doubt Virat Kohli is world’s No. 1. When we play cricket, it’s like family. I remember when we took the review against Pant when he played the reverse sweep, he (Kohli) said… ‘what are you doing? Getting everyone out inside 10 overs?’” Rizwan told Paktv.tv

“But like I said, these are tactics. Later, when I walked out to bat, I spoke to him then too. Rest, whatever chats took place inside the change room, I can’t disclose but I can say that he’s a very nice person,” he added.

Meanwhile, Rizwan enjoyed a sensational run in 2021 and the same earned him Pakistan’s most valuable cricketer of the year award. As far as his numbers are concerned, he slammed 455 Test, 134 ODI, and 1326 T20I runs. He also accounted for 56 batters behind the wickets across all international formats. However, Rizwan is determined to improve even further.

“I am only focussed on improving my game. Initially, I used to idolize (Sachin) Tendulkar and then AB de Villiers, but it’s not like I would like to copy them. Yes, I have learnt a lot of things watching them play. As far as learning from Pakistani legends is concerned, I have picked certain things from Misbah-ul-Haq, (Shoaib)Malik, (Mohammad) Hafeez and others,” he added.