Mohammad Rizwan's sharp 'average player' remark in response to matching Virat Kohli's sensational T20I feat

Mohammad Rizwan and Virat Kohli will face each other when India take on Pakistan at the ICC T20 World Cup in New York on June 9.

Pakistan opener Mohammad Rizwan made an honest remark about Virat Kohli after his match-winning knock in the second T20 clash against Ireland in the three-match T20 series. Rizwan played a scintillating unbeaten inning of 75 off just 46 balls which helped him secure his 12th Man of the Match award in T20Is.

Both Virat Kohli and Mohammad Rizwan showcase exceptional records in T20Is.

The guests had a disastrous start to their run chase of 193 posted by the Irish team after losing their opener Saim Ayub and skipper Babar Azam in the first two overs. However, Rizwan joined hands with Fakhar Zaman and notched a sensational 140-run partnership against the hosts to take their team home. As the latter was dismissed for 78 runs off 40 deliveries, Azam Khan took charge to give the finishing touches to the team’s innings 30 runs off just 10 balls.

In the post-match conference, Rizwan was asked about being the only player alongside Indian legend Virat Kohli to average 50+ in the shortest format of the game. The former had an industrious reply to the question as he said he had learned quite a lot from the Indian batter.

"If you look at the average, you are an average player. If you look at the conditions and what game demands that will make you better. We have learned a lot of things from Virat Kohli, I respect him...," Rizwan stated.

Both Virat Kohli and Mohammad Rizwan showcase exceptional records in T20Is. While Kohli has scored 4037 in 109 innings at an average of 51.75, Rizwan is not too far behind with 3124 runs in 82 innings and an average of 50.38. As India and Pakistan face each other in a historic clash at the upcoming T20 World Cup in June, it will be interesting to see how the two luminaries from their sides unleash their batting skills.

Both teams will relieve their historic rivalry for the ninth time at the ICC T20 World Cup in New York on June 9.