PAK vs WI: Rizwan becomes 1st batter to score 2,000 T20 runs in a calendar year

Karachi, Dec 16 (IANS) Pakistan's Mohammad Rizwan became the first batter to score 2,000 T20 runs in a single calendar year, during his team's third and final T20I against West Indies, here on Thursday. The wicketkeeper-batter smashed a quick-fire half-century (86 off 45) to achieve the feat. He had earlier surpassed West Indies Chris Gayle in the list of most T20 runs in a calendar year.Rizwan along with Babar Azam (79 off 53) put on a 158-run opening stand that set up Pakistan's win with seven deliveries and as many wickets to spare as they recorded their highest successful chase in T20Is.The attacking batsman ended the year with 2,036 runs, smashing 18 half-centuries and a century in T20 cricket this year. Of a total of 2,036 T20 runs, 1,326 were scored in T20Is, also the most by a cricketer in a calendar year.Meanwhile, Pakistan skipper Babar Azam also smashed a half-century and became the first player to achieve 20 scores of 50 or more in overall T20 cricket in a calendar year.
--IANS avn/cs

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