Pakistan lost the 3rd T20I to New Zealand and the series as well.
New Zealand, after being put into bat by Shaheen Afridi, posted 224/7 in 20 overs, thanks to Finn Allen’s 137 with 5 fours and 16 sixes. Hoping for a strong start, Pakistan lost Saim Ayub for 10 when the onus shifted to Rizwan and Babar Azam.
In the sixth over, Rizwan became part of a bizarre piece of running between the wicket. He tucked a ball from Matt Henry in the on-side. As Rizwan played the ball on the backfoot he lost his balance and nearly fell, losing his bat in the process.
But with the ball being hit in the gap, Rizwan realized the opportunity to complete two runs. He decided to make the run happen without his bat. As he reached the crease, Rizwan slouched and touched down the crease at the non-striker end, turned around in a jiffy, and made a dash for the second run. With a strong throw coming in and no bat, Rizwan had to put in the dive.
However, as he stood up, Rizwan saw the umpire signaling one run short. The replay on the big screen showed that Rizwan was guilty of a short run as his gloves didn't crossed the popping crease but only touched the ground a couple of centimetres before.
Here is the video:
The moment the umpire signaled the short run, the disappointment on Rizwan's face narrated the whole story. He had his arms over his head, and shook his head as he put back on the gloves and picked up the bat.
He was also trolled on social media for his thinking of running without the bat and then ending up with a short run. The Cricket fans on X had fun at the expense of Rizwan’s folly.
Here are some reactions: