There aren’t many occasions when Indian and Pakistani cricket fans come together, but today is one of them, as two of the best players from either country, Cheteshwar Pujara and Mohammad Rizwan, are ready to make their international debuts for English county side Sussex. An image of the duo standing next to one other in their respective Sussex uniforms has been making the rounds on social media, and fans from both nations can’t control their excitement at the prospect of seeing the two stars play beside one another.
While Pujara is considered to be one of the best Test hitters of his time, Rizwan has created a name for himself in white-ball cricket for Pakistan, and he was named the ICC Twenty20 International Player of the Year in 2019.
Both have been picked to Sussex’s starting eleven, led by Tom Daines. Pujara and Rizwan are poised to open the batting on day two after Derbyshire chooses to bat.
When it comes to foreign experiences, they’re at different ends of the spectrum from each other. While Pujara will be looking to score many runs to make a Test comeback after already being dropped during the tour of South Africa, Rizwan has established himself as one of the top wicket-keeper hitters in international cricket over the previous couple of years.
Because Sussex had lost their initial game, head coach Ian Salisbury decided to deploy both international players for the match against Derbyshire on Saturday.
“My excitement at the prospect of bringing in players of Rizwan’s and Pujara’s caliber into the team is unmatched by anybody else. Not only are they outstanding world-class cricketers who will improve our on-field performances, but having them in the same room as the lads and in the changing room can only be a beneficial experience for everyone, “In a statement released by the squad, the head coach added.
Image Source: Twitter
Cheteshwar Pujara and Mohammad Rizwan
Seeing Rizwan and Pujara bat together would also be a treat for fans on both sides of the border. When it comes to international cricket, Pujara has played 95 Test matches for India, in which he has scored 6713 runs at an impressive average of 43.88. In total, he has participated in 95 Test matches for India. The right-handed hitter has smashed 32 fifties, 18 centuries, and three double-hundreds in his professional career. He has also represented India in five One-Day Internationals (ODIs), in which he has scored 51 runs at an average of 10.2.
Rizwan, a Pakistani wicketkeeper-batsman, has played 22 Test matches for his country and has amassed 1112 runs at an average of 42.76 in those matches. When it comes to his white-ball career, the 29-year-old has participated in 100 games, which include both Twenty20 Internationals and One-Day Internationals. He has amassed a total of 2,559 runs, including 17 half-centuries and three hundred in the process.
