Pakistan’s white-ball captain Muhammad Rizwan has become the center of attention after choosing to play club cricket in his hometown instead of participating in the ongoing National T20 Cup. Pictures of the star cricketer playing in his hometown have gone viral on social media.
The 32-year-old wicketkeeper-batter recently returned from performing Umrah following Pakistan’s dismal campaign in the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025. As hosts and defending champions, Pakistan failed to win a single match in the tournament, finishing at the bottom of Group A with just one point.
Rather than joining the 18-team National T20 Cup, Muhammad Rizwan opted to stay in his hometown, where he has been playing club-level matches. Pictures of Rizwan in action at the club level have surfaced on social media, with reports suggesting he scored an unbeaten century in one of the games.
His absence from the domestic competition coincides with the Pakistan selection committee’s decision to exclude him, along with other senior players, from the ongoing five-match T20I series against New Zealand.
Pakistan’s T20I campaign in New Zealand got off to a disastrous start, with the team suffering a nine-wicket defeat in the first match. The batting lineup collapsed spectacularly, managing just 91 runs before being bowled out. At one point, Pakistan lost three wickets for just one run, a collapse that set the tone for their worst defeat while batting first in T20I history. New Zealand chased the target with ease, sealing the win with 59 balls to spare.