[WATCH] 'I want to speak in Urdu, please!' - Mohammad Rizwan requests not to address toss in English amid trolling from fans

Mohammad Rizwan stole the limelight with his terrific century in Multan Sultans' tournament opener of the Pakistan Super League 2025, albeit in a losing cause, as Karachi Kings won the game, chasing down the 235-run target with four balls to spare, as James Vince replied with another century on April 12 at the National Stadium, Karachi. However, before the game, the Sultans skipper Rizwan also grabbed eyeballs, addressing the toss in Urdu, his preferred language of communication.

The request to speak in Urdu seems to have come amidst the massive criticism has been facing for his weak communication skills in English. The incident unfolded when David Warner-led side won the toss and opted to bowl first at the Karachi deck. The moment the toss presenter approached Rizwan for a word after losing the toss and raw thoughts, the latter quickly pleaded to respond in Urdu, instead of English.

"I want to speak in Urdu, please!" Rizwan requested at the toss on Saturday.

"Basically, whenever a tournament starts, things like the pitch report or ground conditions do not restrict you as much, and you cannot say anything with conviction, because we don't know. However, for the first time, I am seeing so much grass on the pitch in Karachi, especially for a T20 game. The thing that is going on in our mind right now is that the intent that we have entered the tournament and the thing we want to be successful at is reading the match situation and play accordingly. So we will try to put up a big total on this pitch," he elaborated (translated from Urdu).

Also Read: 'I regret I didn't complete education' - Mohammad Rizwan addresses poor command over English-speaking

"Difficult to pick your best playing combination from the first game, because you are not aware about certain things at the start. To make your team, to play, the atmosphere in the dressing room, everything gets difficult. But as the tournament progresses and you play a few games, you get a better idea of all these factors," he concluded.