India’s veteran off-spinner, Ravichandran Ashwin, was left astonished by Pakistan’s wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan’s unexpected run-out during the Asia Cup opener against Nepal. Pakistan, led by Babar Azam, made a dominant entrance into the Continental Cup, securing an emphatic victory in their first game by a staggering 238 runs.
Despite losing their early wickets with only 25 runs on the board, it was Babar and Rizwan who shouldered the responsibility of steering the team back on track. As Rizwan neared his half-century mark, an unusual run-out abruptly terminated his innings.
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In the 24th over, Rizwan attempted a quick single by pushing the ball towards the covers. However, Dipendra Singh Airee, positioned at covers, swiftly gathered the ball and accurately struck the stumps. In an astonishing turn of events, Rizwan found himself with his bat and both feet suspended in the air, as he contorted to evade the ball, ultimately leading to his dismissal.
The height of the throw made it harder to evade for Rizwan but for someone who generally dives to make his ground all the time while running between the wickets, this is a rare instance of him ducking for cover and the only reason is that he isn’t wearing his helmet.
He loves… pic.twitter.com/asBSX6rf9n
— Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99) August 30, 2023
The unexpected run-out bewildered not only fans but also India’s spinner, Ashwin. He took to social media to share his thoughts on the peculiar dismissal, attributing Rizwan’s choice to not wear a helmet as the reason for his downfall. Ashwin highlighted, “The height of the throw made it harder to evade for Rizwan, but for someone who generally dives to make his ground all the time while running between the wickets, this is a rare instance of him ducking for cover and the only reason is that he isn’t wearing his helmet.”
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Meanwhile, Babar Azam etched his name in the Asia Cup history books by achieving the second-highest individual score ever in the tournament, a masterful 151 off 131 balls. Furthermore, Pakistan secured the second-largest victory in terms of runs in Asia Cup’s ODI format history, falling short only of India’s 256-run triumph against Hong Kong in 2008.
Looking ahead, Babar and his team are scheduled to face India at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy on September 2. A victory in this clash would solidify Pakistan’s position in the Super Four stage of the ACC event.
