'Need results,' says Rizwan after RawalPindiz suffer sixth straight defeat

KARACHI: RawalPindiz captain Mohammad Rizwan reflected on his side’s batting struggles and praised Hyderabad Kingsmen's bowling attack for maintaining relentless pressure throughout the innings after they suffered their sixth consecutive defeat in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 at the National Bank Stadium on Thursday.

Speaking during the post-match presentation, Rizwan acknowledged his team’s underwhelming batting display and the challenges posed by a difficult surface, admitting that their pre-match plans did not translate into execution on the day.

He said the side had anticipated a testing pitch and structured their approach accordingly, but a collective batting collapse meant they failed to post a competitive total.

“We were fully aware that the pitch was going to be tricky; we had discussed it in detail during our team meetings. Our goal was to push for a target of around 140, which we felt would be competitive, but unfortunately, our batting collapsed,” Rizwan said.

“You have to give credit to their bowlers—they never let us get away and kept us restricted to a total of 121,” he added.

The wicketkeeper-batter further reflected on his team’s ongoing inability to convert competitive passages of play into victories, noting that while there were positives in the bowling department, results remain the ultimate benchmark in the tournament.

He praised the fighting spirit shown by the bowlers, who kept the contest alive until the final stages, but stressed the need for RawalPindiz to turn close encounters into wins as the campaign progresses.

“While it is important to find positives in our bowling performance, the reality of this tournament is that you need results,” he said.

“I’m proud of how the bowlers fought to push the match right until the very end, but the unfortunate truth is that we still haven't managed to get a win on the board. We are doing the work, but we need to translate these close contests into points,” he concluded.

Earlier, Kingsmen produced a strong all-round performance to register their third successive win after restricting RawalPindiz to 121-9 in 20 overs after opting to field.

Sam Billings top-scored for RawalPindiz with 26 off 22 deliveries, including one four and a six, while Yasir Khan contributed 24 off 30 balls with a boundary. 

Asif Afridi and skipper Rizwan added 15 runs each, while Mubasir Khan and Abdullah Fazal scored 11 apiece.

For Kingsmen, Mohammad Ali and Hunain Shah led the bowling attack with three wickets each, while Asif Mehmood and Glenn Maxwell chipped in with one wicket apiece.

In response, Kingsmen overcame early pressure to chase down the target in the 17th over, losing five wickets in the process. Irfan Niazi anchored the innings with an unbeaten 34 off 29 balls, striking three fours and a six.

Kusal Perera added 32 off 24 deliveries, including three fours and a six, while skipper Marnus Labuschagne also contributed 32 runs to guide his side to victory.