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Rauf vs Rizwan battle lights up BBL; PAK pacer celebrates aggressively in Melbourne Derby

Abhinav Tyagi

Mohammad Rizwan and Haris Rauf - (Source:@ScreenGrab/X.com)Mohammad Rizwan and Haris Rauf - (Source:@ScreenGrab/X.com)

On Sunday, January 4, Melbourne Renegades locked horns against Melbourne Stars in the much-awaited derby of BBL 15. It was a nail-biting thriller as the Renegades got the better of Marcus Stoinis-led side and won the Melbourne mace trophy after the game.

The Stars, batting first, put 173/9 on the board courtesy of a thirty-plus score from Tom Curran. In reply, the Renegades chased down the target in the 20th over of the match. Josh Brown was the star of the match for his 84-run knock.

Mohammad Rizwan also returned to form as the right-handed batter scored 41 (38). Throughout the tournament, the Pakistan batter was struggling for form and found runs at the right time. Despite the fourty-plus total, it was a sluggish knock as Rizwan only scored four boundaries. 

Rizwan vs Haris Rauf battle lights up Melbourne Derby

Further, Rizwan had the task to seal a win for his side, but failed to execute his plans. The situation was such that Renegades required 39 to win off the last four overs, and eyes were on the Pakistani talent who was up against his countryman, Haris Rauf. The right-arm seamer got the better of his teammate on the second ball of the 17th over. 

Rizwan looked to guide the ball towards the leg side, but a top-edge landed safely in Stoinis’ gloves. Following the dismissal, Rauf burst and celebrated aggressively, and jumped on top of the Stars’ captain to celebrate the big wicket. 

Haris Rauf having the time of his lift in BBL 2025-26

Unlike Mohammad Rizwan, who is struggling to adapt to Australian conditions, Haris Rauf is having the time of his life. The 32-year-old has played six innings and taken 12 wickets already. Interestingly, Rauf has picked up a wicket in every match. His best performance came against Sydney Thunder and Adelaide Strikers, where he took three-wickets each. 

Talking about the two teams, then despite a win, Renegades are struggling to enter the top-half of the table as they have just two wins in five matches. On the other hand, Stars are second on the table with four wins in six matches.