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Rizwan>Babar; 3 Reasons The Skipper Will Be Most Crucial For Pakistan In Champions Trophy

Probuddha Bhattacharjee

Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan In ODIs [Source: @satisfyingcric, @Minnah_Memon/x.com]Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan In ODIs [Source: @satisfyingcric, @Minnah_Memon/x.com]

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Pakistan has yet to announce its squad for the upcoming edition of the Champions Trophy. However, Mohammad Rizwan is expected to be in charge of the side.

The Pakistan team is playing against West Indies in the second match of the Test series at the Multan Cricket Ground in Pakistan. Even though Babar Azam has not delivered once more, Mohammad Rizwan is fighting hard and built a steady knock for the team on the first day of the second Test.

Looking at how Rizwan is playing and how he has approached his batting, it feels like he will be most crucial for the team's campaign in the Champions Trophy 2025. Here is a look at a few reasons why Mohammad Rizwan will bear more significance than Babar Azam during the tournament - 

3. Leadership

Pakistan are coming into the tournament as the defending champions. In the tournament's last edition, Pakistan defeated India in the summit clash to win the title under the captaincy of Sarfaraz Ahmed. This time, the onus will be on Mohammad Rizwan to guide the team to the tournament's final and defend the title.

The rein of Mohammad Rizwan's leadership has just begun in Pakistan cricket, and it has been very successful so far. The wicketkeeper batter led the team in nine ODIs, and the team won seven, with a winning percentage of 77.78%.

The fact that Pakistan won the last Champions Trophy under the leadership of a wicketkeeper-batter means hopes will be high for Rizwan. Besides, just like Sarafaraz, Rizwan looks like a very tactical leader.

2. Middle Over Batting

Mohammad Rizwan is an ideal batter in an ODI match's middle overs. He is a consistent run-scorer and keeps the scoreboard ticking with regular singles and doubles. His dynamism in the middle-order provides stability to the team's batting and the foundation to launch in the final overs of the innings.

If we look at his performance during 11-40 overs in ODIs in the last three years, we see that he has kept an average of over 60. Besides, he has also played a good strike rate. Thus, keeping the dynamism in the middle overs alive makes Rizwan a crucial factor in Pakistan's batting during the tournament. 

1. Ability To Absorb Pressure

In his career, Mohammad Rizwan has shown that he can absorb the pressure and deliver the best when the team has their back to the wall. His ability to stay steady even under the worst situations and find his way through in the middle makes him a vital cog in Pakistan's mechanism. Rizwan's ability to navigate the team through the worst of match situations makes him the most important member in Pakistan's ICC Champions Trophy 2025 campaign.