Pakistan’s wicket-keeper batter, Mohammad Rizwan has been included among the nominees for the ICC T20I player of the year. Rizwan has been included alongside India’s middle-order batter, Suryakumar Yadav, England’s all-rounder, Sam Curran, and Zimbabwe’s explosive all-rounder, Sikandar Raza.
Rizwan had a stellar year in T20Is as he finished as the second-highest run-scorer in the shortest format of the game in 2022. Rizwan scored 996 runs at an average of 45.27 and a strike rate of 122.96 in 25 innings in the year. He scored a total of 10 half-centuries and was brilliant behind the stumps as well. He dismissed 12 batters, took nine catches, and managed three stumpings.
Rizwan’s tally of 996 runs was only bettered by Indian middle-order maestro, Suryakumar Yadav, who was sensational with the bat in 2022. Suryakumar scored 1,164 runs at an average of 46.56 and an astonishing strike rate of 187.43 in 31 T20I innings. He also struck 68 sixes, the most in T20I cricket in the year.
English all-rounder, Sam Curran was the star of the show in the 2022 T20 World Cup. He helped England to their second T20 World title and was named the player of the tournament for his outstanding displays with the ball. Overall, Curran took 25 wickets at an average of 21.08 and an economy rate of 7.56 in 19 innings in 2022. Out of his 25 wickets, 13 wickets came in the T20 World Cup.
Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza had an amazing year with both, the bat and the ball. His performances helped Zimbabwe to qualify for the Super 12s of the T20 World Cup which ultimately helped him secure contracts in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) and Indian Premier League (IPL). Raza scored 735 runs and picked up 25 wickets in 24 matches in 2022.