[Watch] Rizwan Soars Like An Eagle To Pull Off A Screamer In Pakistan's Champions One Day Cup
Mohammad Rizwan took a stunning catch in Pakistan Champions Cup (X)
In what was a perfect start for the Markhors in the Pakistan Champions One Day Cup 2024, Mohammad Rizwan produced a fielding masterclass during the opening match against Panthers at the Iqbal Stadium. While the Markhors cruised to a dominant 160-run victory, Rizwan’s breathtaking catch to dismiss Mubasir Khan stole the show, leaving fans and critics in awe.
Mohammad Rizwan produces a moment of brilliance
The match had already seen Mohammad Rizwan at his sharpest behind the stumps, taking an early catch to dismiss Haider Ali. But it was in the 23rd over, when Akif Javed banged a short ball into the pitch, that Rizwan showed his true brilliance.
Mubasir Khan, hurried by the extra pace, could only fend off a top edge that ballooned in front of the wicketkeeper. Rizwan, quick as lightning, sprinted forward like a cheetah on the hunt and leaped full-length to pull off a sensational catch, sending Mubasir back for 33 off 31 balls.
Though Rizwan’s efforts with the gloves were impressive, he also chipped in with a valuable 45 off 57 balls earlier in the day, setting the stage for the Markhors’ monumental total of 347/6.
Dismissed by a brilliant lbw from Mohammad Hasnain, Rizwan’s knock laid the foundation for Iftikhar Ahmed and Muhammad Abdul Samad’s explosive fifties, which propelled the Markhors to an unassailable position.
Akif Javed and Naseem Shah decimate Panthers
In response, the Panthers were left reeling at 187 all out, with only Amad Butt’s valiant 72 off 84 balls offering any resistance. The rest of the Panthers' lineup collapsed like a house of cards, with five of their batters falling for single-digit scores, including skipper Shadab Khan who was dismissed for just 4.
On the bowling front, it was Akif Javed and Naseem Shah who took the lion’s share of the spoils, each claiming three wickets to decimate the Panthers' batting order.
Saim Ayub’s early dismissal for 20 set the tone, but it was Amad Butt’s departure that sealed the fate of the Panthers, leaving the Markhors victorious by a whopping margin of 160 runs.