"No helmet makes it even more bizarre" - Ravichandran Ashwin on Mohammad Rizwan's run-out against Nepal in Asia Cup 2023 opener
Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin felt it was "bizarre" that despite preferring the sweep shot, Pakistan's Mohammed Rizwan didn't wear a helmet against Nepal in the 2023 Asia Cup opener in Multan.
In the contest between Pakistan and Nepal on Wednesday, August 30, Rizwan got himself run out for 44 (50). Trying to take a quick single off Sandeep Lamichhane's bowling, he pulled back his body at the last moment instead of bending forward as the direct hit from Dipendra Singh came quick and close to his body. As a result, he was in the air when the ball hit the stumps.
Taking to X (formerly known as Twitter), Ashwin said:
"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 sweeping against spin and no helmet makes it even more bizarre. #PAKvsNEP"
Batters generally remove their helmets when the opposition bowling opts for a spin attack, except for those who love to play the sweep shot. The sweep involves batters sitting down on one knee and horizontally swatting the ball, which increases the risk of being hit on the head if it bounces or turns sharply.
Babar Azam completes century after Mohammed Rizwan's dismissal
Skipper Babar Azam was visibly disappointed to see the end of his 86-run partnership with Mohammed Rizwan end and threw his cap to the ground. Agha Salman followed a few balls later and got out for just 5 (14).
Since then, however, Babar continued to bat well and reached his century in the 42nd over. At the time of writing, Iftikhar Ahmad is doing well to support him from the other end and the duo is turning the screws on Nepal.
You can catch the live-action here.