With their 3-0 clean sweep of West Indies in December 2021, Pakistan created a record for most T20 internationals victories in a calendar year. With 20 T201 wins in 2021, Pakistan broke their own record of 17 from 2018.
Pakistan’s skipper Babar Azam and wicket-keeper Mohammad Rizwan have been central to Pakistan’s success in 2021. In 25 innings when they opened the batting for Pakistan in 2021, they scored 1,380 runs at an average of 57.50 and a run rate of 8.10. They had six stands of 100 or more and now hold the record for most century partnerships by any pair in T20Is. Four out of these were 150-plus stands, including the unbeaten 152 against India in Dubai during their victorious run-chase that helped them seal their maiden World Cup victory against their arch-rivals.
While the Azam-Rizwan partnership has been central to Pakistan’s success, others have also contributed handsomely. The likes of Fakhar Zaman, Asif Ali and seniors Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik have pitched in whenever necessary with their bats. The bowling department has also been a well-rounded unit. While Hasan Ali and Haris Rauf have led the wicket-takers chart for Pakistan in 2021 with 25 scalps apiece, Shaheen Shah Afridi has picked 23 wickets and shadab Khan has claimed 20 in 2021.
Mohammad Rizwan was at his belligerent best in 2021, setting two new batting milestones in T20s in the process. With 1,326 runs in T20 internationals and 2,036 T20 runs in 2021, Rizwan not only became the first player to go past the 1,000-run mark in a calendar year in T20Is, but also the first batter with 2,000-plus T20 runs in a calendar year.
Pakistan’s captain Babar Azam d occupied the second place in both these lists that were headed by Rizwan. Azam had 939 T201 runs and finished with 1,779 runs in T20s in 2021.
Pakistan were the only unbeaten side in the Super 12 stage of the T20 World Cup played in 2021, winning all five games they played. Pakistan, however, lost to eventual champions Australia in the semi-finals.
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