Pakistan wicket-keeper batter Mohammad Rizwan feels that they will have great momentum going into the marquee clash against India in Ahmedabad, winning two out of two encounters in the ODI World Cup 2023. The Men in Green would be highly motivated to win their next game against Rohit Sharma-led side in the high-octane clash.
Babar Azam-led side made a comeback after a shaky start, and Abdullah Shafique playing in just his sixth ODI game, displayed surprising maturity in the game alongside Mohammad Rizwan, which helped Pakistan to make a comeback in the game and chase the highest target in the ODI World Cup history.
Speaking at the post-match conference, Mohammad Rizwan was happy with the victory against Sri Lanka and hopeful of carrying on the momentum for the clash against India on Saturday and was happy with the support they received for the game against Sri Lanka, stating that they felt more like playing in front of the Rawalpindi crowd.
“We now have momentum. Tomorrow, our next match, everyone knows that it is with India, but they will also come with a plan, we will also come with a plan,” Rizwan said.
“And where you talked about Hyderabad, I felt like I was playing a match in Pindi. The way the crowd gave love today, and not just me, the whole Pakistan team gave love. In fact, they supported Sri Lanka too. Because I am happy that the crowd in Hyderabad has supported cricket, both Sri Lanka and us. I had a lot of fun with them,” Mohammad Rizwan added.
The lack of Pakistani fans owing to visa concerns may have appeared unusual to the Pakistani players, but they got enthusiastic support from the Hyderabad audience. Every stroke Mohammad Rizwan made was met with great applause from the crowd in the match and the Pakistan players would expect their fans to turn up in the number for the game against India in Ahmedabad.
The Curator Here Said The Same Thing To Me – Mohammad Rizwan
Mohammad Rizwan expressed his gratitude to the ground staff in Afghanistan and recalled the conversation he had with curators for the first time, where they wished him to score two hundred in the game. The Pakistan players were seen clicking pictures and thanking the ground staff for their brilliant work.
“The curator here said the same thing to me. When we got to the ground for the first time, he said, Rizwan, you must hit two 100s on this ground. I met him today as well. We can pray for him and you should pray for him too,” Mohammad Rizwan added.
The Men in Green outdid Ireland’s 328 against England in 2011 to break the record for the highest successful World Cup chase with Mohammad Rizwan and Abdullah Shafique putting up a brilliant partnership in the middle overs to help them chase down the target in 48.2 overs.
