Mohammad Rizwan centuries in international cricket are six in number, with the latest one coming in the 2023 World Cup, against Sri Lanka.
Rizwan’s ascendancy in international cricket was not a smooth one by any means. The crafty wicketkeeper-batsman suffered numerous setbacks at the start of his career. Furthermore, he also had to contend with a countless number of trolls for his repeated failures. The fact that there have been multiple Mohammad Rizwan centuries across several formats of the game is a testament to the player’s character.
Rizwan made a promising debut after the 2015 World Cup and averaged nearly 60 against weaker oppositions. But he quickly faded from the scenes once he started encountering tougher teams. Nevertheless, Rizwan was determined and worked extensively on his game to gain recognition.
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He was finally able to break the shackles in an ODI series against Australia in March 2019 when he scored his first international century. From that moment onwards, Rizwan did not look back as he went on to register some record-breaking performances across all formats. On the back of some of his outstanding batting exploits over the years, Rizwan was subsequently able to replace Sarfraz Ahmed in the team and go on to become Pakistan’s No 1 wicket-keeper batsman.
On that note, let us take a deep dive into the best Mohammad Rizwan centuries and explore how he overcame his arduous challenges to reach the top.
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Mohammad Rizwan centuries: Career summary
Mohammad Rizwan has appeared in 180 international matches spanning all three formats for Pakistan. The Peshawar-born wicketkeeper-batsman has so far been able to amass six international centuries. Mohammad Rizwan centuries comprise three ODI, twoTest centuries and one T20I century. In Test and ODI cricket, he averages 39.52 and 40.25 respectively.
| Format | Mat | Inns | Runs | HS | Ave | SR | 100s | 50s |
| Tests | 28 | 44 | 1423 | 115* | 39.52 | 51.99 | 2 | 8 |
| ODIs | 67 | 61 | 1892 | 131* | 40.25 | 89.79 | 3 | 12 |
| T20Is | 85 | 73 | 2797 | 104* | 49.07 | 127.3 | 1 | 25 |
Whereas in T20I, Rizwan has smashed a solitary century of 104* which came against the Proteas in a winning cause. Rizwan also achieved his highest Test score of 115* against South Africa in a two-match test series in February 2021 which later came to be known as his breakthrough series.His best ODI knock came in the 2023 World Cup, where Pakistan chased down 345 against Sri Lanka, the highest successful run-chase ever in the tournament.
Rizwan has accumulated 6112 runs across all three formats. Now that we have given you a brief rundown of Mohammad Rizwan centuries in international cricket, how about we cast some light on his journey and some of his best performances?
Best of Mohammad Rizwan centuries: ODI, T20I and Tests
Below is a detailed compilation of all the Mohammad Rizwan centuries in international cricket. With six international centuries to his name, Rizwan aims to improve his century count against the top-ranked sides.
Mohammad Rizwan ODI centuries
Mohammad Rizwan has scored three centuries in ODI cricket as well along with 13 half-centuries. The first two Mohammad Rizwan centuries in ODI cricket came in a losing cause, but he was able to turn it around with a match-winning 131* in 2023. He achieved his first century of 115 against Australia in the 2nd ODI match of a five-match ODI series in 2019. On the back of his impressive ton, Pakistan were able to post a respectable target of 288. However, a weak bowling effort from the Men in Green overshadowed Rizwan’s incredible batting effort as Australia chased down the target within 48 overs for the loss of just two wickets.
| Runs | Opposition | Ground | Start Date |
| 115 | Vs Australia | Sharjah | 24 Mar 2021 |
| 104 | Vs Australia | Dubai | 29 Mar 2021 |
| 131* | Vs Sri Lanka | Hyderabad | 10 Oct 2023 |
During the same series, Rizwan notched up another valiant ton during the fourth ODI match at Dubai International Stadium. In pursuit of a tricky target of 278, Abid Ali and Mohammad Rizwan scored some impressive tons at the top of the order. Rizwan made 104 runs at a little over a run-a-ball giving Pakistan a fighting chance to get over the line. But the lack of contribution from the lower-middle order ruined Rizwan’s efforts as Pakistan fell seven runs short of their required target.
Rizwan had not made a century in over two years in ODIs and he turned it around in the 2023 World Cup with a stunning 121-ball 131*, which was also his first in a win in the format. Set a stiff 345 to win their second game of the competition, Pakistan fell to 37-2, with skipper Babar Azam and opener Imam-ul-Haq back in the pavilion. Walking at No.4, Rizwan played the perfect role, steadying the ship and taking Pakistan through. They won by six wickets, chasing down the highest score ever in the competition.
Mohammad Rizwan T20I centuries
The best of Mohammad Rizwan centuries came in the shortest format of the game. Rizwan thrives in T20I cricket and has the most number of runs in this format. The 32-year-old has amassed 2797 runs in this format at a jaw-dropping average of 49.07.
| Runs | Opposition | Ground | Start Date |
| 104* | Vs South Africa | Lahore | 11 Feb 2021 |
He scored his solitary T20I century against South Africa in 2021 a.k.a his breakthrough year. Amidst a lack of contribution from his fellow teammates, Rizwan singlehandedly dragged Pakistan to a respectable total of 169. Rizwan did the bulk of the scoring as he smashed his way to a brutal 104* (64) that came at an exorbitant strike rate of 162.5.
With a lack of support from the other end, Rizwan batted right throughout the first innings thus negating the threat from the Proteas bowlers more successfully than his counterparts. It turned out to be an intense thriller, but Pakistan held their nerve to restrict South Africa four runs short of their required target.
Mohammad Rizwan Test centuries
Mohammed Rizwan has scored two centuries so far in his seven-year-long test career. His first century came against South Africa in a two-match home test series in 2021. In a must-win game, Rizwan smashed a match-winning 115* (204) that helped Pakistan set a stiff target of 370 for the Proteas. In the end, Pakistan achieved a comfortable victory by a decent margin of 95 runs to clinch the series by 2-0. Rizwan ended that series on a high with 166 runs under his belt and later claimed the Player of the Series award for his scintillating batting prowess.
| Runs | Opposition | Ground | Start Date |
| 115* | Vs South Africa | Rawalpindi | 4 Feb 2021 |
| 104* | Vs Australia | Karachi | 12 Mar 2022 |
His second test century came a year later against the Aussies in a four-match test series in early March. After failing to make a significant contribution in the first innings, Rizwan played a gutsy innings of 104* (177) under pressure. He along with Babar Azam kept the Pakistani innings afloat during the fourth innings and ensured that the Men in Green got away with a draw.
All you need to know about Mohammad Rizwan centuries: His journey to the top
Mohammad Rizwan was born on June 1, 1992, in the city of Peshawar located in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He was born in a typical Pashtun family of 6 children. Like any Pakistani cricketer, Rizwan started his cricketing journey through tape ball cricket, with the batsman becoming part of the Islamia College and Shama Clubs later on. Eventually, Rizwan transitioned to hard-ball cricket and made his way to the Peshawar Under-19 team back in 2007.
On his first-class debut with Peshawar in the 2008–09 season, Rizwan was impressive. The opener stuck five half centuries, four of which were unbeaten, across his first seven innings. These cracking results with the bat and as wicketkeeper saw Rizwan attract the attention of the then-coach of Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited, Basit Ali. Ali included him in his team for the 2011–12 season.
For Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited in 2014-15 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy final, Rizwan smashed 224 to see Sui Northern to a 301-run first-innings lead, with the side going on to claim their second title. In 2018, Rizwan made further advancement in his domestic career as he was elevated to the captaincy position for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for the 2019–20 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy tournament. He went on to be named player of the tournament for the 2019–20 National T20 Cup, courtesy of his 215 runs and six wickets.
Rizwan’s eye-catching run in the domestic arena helped him secure a lucrative PSL contract with Lahore Qalandars in 2016. However, he had a disappointing stint with the Qalandars and later swapped his franchise to Karachi Kings in 2018. After enduring a lean patch of nearly five years, Rizwan immediately began grabbing the attention of the selectors who took cognizance of his impeccable skill and temperament.
Rizwan's breakthrough in the PSL occurred in 2021 with the Multan Sultans, where he captained the side to much success. In the first season of Rizwan's captaincy, he led the Sultans all the way to the title, before finishing runner-up in the next two tournaments. As a batsman, Rizwan made hay during his time with the Sultans, scoring 1596 runs from 2021 to 2023 and winning the Hanif Mohammad Cap for being the highest run scorer in PSL 8. This saw him become the only batsman to score 500+ runs in three PSL seasons.
Talking about his international career, Rizwan made his ODI debut way back in 2015 against Bangladesh scoring an impressive 67 runs off 58 balls. Later in the same tour, he also made his T20I debut against the Tigers. However, he soon got a severe reality check a year later when he made his debut against the Black Caps where he was dismissed for a golden duck in the first innings.
As years rolled by, his deficiencies as a batter kept getting exposed as he went head-to-head against some of the best bowling lineups. Following a series of dismal performances, Rizwan lost his place to Sarfraz Ahmed and was later sidelined from the squad. Later in 2019, Rizwan once again made an appearance in the ODI cricket against South Africa, Australia, and Sri Lanka where his scratchy run continued. However, his fortunes started to change for the better during the post-Covid era.
In July 2020, Rizwan made Pakistan's 20-man squad for the Test series against England. It was a strong series for him, scoring 161 runs with two 50s, locking in his place as the premier wicket-keeper for Pakistan in Test matches. Later, Rizwan was named Pakistan's player of the series thanks to his consistent performances on the tour.
He began flourishing further in early 2021 during Pakistan's home series against South Africa. Rizwan scored his first Test century, making an unbeaten 115 and winning player of the series. Furthermore, he went on to achieve some more milestones in that series by becoming Pakistan's first wicket-keeper batter to score a century in T20I cricket (and only the second-ever wicketkeeper batter to score centuries in all three formats, after Brendon McCullum). Fast forward to 2023, Rizwan now appears to be in the prime of his career, and one of Pakistan's most prized assets heading into the 2023 ODI World Cup.
Rizwan’s resurgence on the global stage
Rizwan’s journey in international cricket has had its fair share of highs and lows. The talented wicketkeeper-batsman had to navigate through some difficult periods during the early phases of his career. Despite making a bright start to his international career against Bangladesh in 2015, Rizwan started faltering and his woeful form over the next four years pushed him out of the team.
However, he did not let his deteriorating form curtail his monumental cricketing ambitions. During his rough phase, Rizwan actively featured in various domestic competitions in Pakistan. Rizwan has been a prolific run-accumulator, averaging a shade under 50 in List A cricket and 41 at first-class level.
Having made his debut over a decade ago on Pakistan's domestic circuit, Rizwan has been an ever-present participant in the Quaid-e-Azam trophy, plying his trade with the hugely successful SNGPL side, helping his side to three titles in the last four years.
His prolific run in first-class cricket followed by some sporadic glimpses of his match-defining batting exploits in PSL helped the 32-year-old crawl his way back into the national side. It didn’t take long for Mohammad Rizwan centuries to come to the fore. Come 2021, Rizwan soared to new heights as his career trajectory skyrocketed at a swashbuckling rate. During that year, Rizwan scored a flurry of magnificent knocks which included his majestic innings of 79* (55) against the arch-rivals India handing them one of their worst defeats in international cricket.
On the back of some consistent performances in the international arena, Rizwan was finally able to cement his place as a permanent member in the national squad replacing an out-of-form Sarfraz Ahmed.
