(Image Source: AFP)
[Saba Sports News] Pakistan star batter Muhammad Rizwan dedicated his match-winning century against Sri Lanka in the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup to the victims of the Palestine attack in Gaza. Rizwan scored his first-ever ODI century, an unbeaten 131 off 121 balls, contributing significantly to Pakistan’s six-wicket victory in a record-breaking chase of 345 runs.
He praised opener Abdullah Shafique and bowler Hassan Ali for their roles in the win and expressed gratitude for the support in Hyderabad.
Rizwan shared on X, ‘This was for our brothers and sisters in Gaza.’ He added, ‘Happy to contribute to the win. Credits to the whole team and especially Abdullah Shafique and Hassan Ali for making it easier. Extremely grateful to the people of Hyderabad for the amazing hospitality and support throughout.’
Sri Lanka batted first, with Kusal Mendis (122) and Sadeera Samarawickrama (108) scoring centuries, leading to a total of 344 runs. Pakistan faced an early setback, losing opener Imam ul Haq for 12 runs and captain Babar Azam for 10 runs.
However, a 176-run partnership between Abdullah Shafique and Mohammad Rizwan revived Pakistan’s innings. Shafique’s dismissal left Pakistan at 213/3, but Rizwan guided the team to a successful chase with 10 balls to spare, earning him the Player of the Match award.