All details on why Mohammad Rizwan is not in Pakistan Squad for T20 World Cup 2026.
We answer why Mohammad Rizwan is not in Pakistan squad for T20 World Cup 2026. While former captain Babar Azam has been included in the 15-member team, another ex-skipper misses out. The reason is simple, as Rizwan has been out of Pakistan’s plans for the 20-over games for over a year. He also failed to make it to the Men in Green’s squad for the three-match series against Australia at home.
The batter’s last appearance in the shortest format of the game dates back to December 13, 2024. Since then, the Pakistan management has opted to exclude the batter from their T20I line-up due to his below-par strike rate and inconsistency. Notably, in 20 innings of the format during 2024, the opener managed to make only 617 runs, including five half-centuries, striking at an underwhelming rate of 117.3.
The wicketkeeper-batter, who scored 3,414 runs in 106 T20I matches for Pakistan, also underwent a horrible outing in the last edition of the mega ICC event. He managed to contribute just 110 runs in four matches at a strike rate of 90.90.
The 33-year-old had a massive chance to put on a great show in his maiden Big Bash League (BBL) stint for the Melbourne Renegades. But he ended with just 187 runs in 10 fixtures. Moreover, Rizwan could not manage a single fifty-plus score during his stint in Australia’s T20 league as his strike rate further declined to 102.74. The recent stats make it further clear why Mohammad Rizwan is not in Pakistan squad for T20 World Cup 2026.
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In contrast, Pakistan’s head coach in the white-ball formats, Mike Hesson, has emphasised the lack of slots behind Rizwan’s omission from the T20 World Cup 2026 squad.
“Usman Khan has been exceptional, and his wicketkeeping is much better than expected. The role we needed was in the middle order, whereas Rizwan is a top-order batter, and there was no space available for that role,” he stated.
Eventually, the 23-year-old Khawaja Nafay was added to the squad.
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