Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan dedicated his side’s win over Sri Lanka during the ICC World Cup 2023 on Tuesday to his “brothers and sisters in Gaza".
Over 260,000 people have been forced to flee their homes in the Gaza Strip, as heavy Israeli bombardments from the air, land and sea continue to hit the Palestinian enclave, the United Nations said.
Gaza's health ministry said at least 900 people have been martyred and 4,600 wounded in the crowded coastal enclave.
However, some Indians appeared to take issue with the 31-year-old dedicating his team's victory to Palestine, arguing that cricket should remain separate from political matters.
Following Rizwan's tweet, a number of Indian individuals expressed their views on social media. However, they faced strong rebuttals from fans who emphasised that what the 31-year-old does off the field is a matter entirely personal to him.
Furthermore, some individuals pointed out that certain Indian players have also been involved in political activities, citing the instance of the Indian cricket team's all-rounder, Ravindra Jadeja.
However, both of these users were given a massive reality check by users.
It must be noted that Pakistan carried on to their impeccable form and registered a historic win against Sri Lanka in the eighth match of the ICC World Cup 2023 on Tuesday. This was Pakistan’s second win in as many matches during the event.
The Men in Green pipped Ireland to claim the record of the highest-ever run chase in the history of ODI World Cups.
Chasing the target of 345 runs, the Men in Green met with early blows as they had lost their top-order batters, Imam-ul-Haq and Babar Azam, in just 7.1 overs and were 37-2 but the match-winning partnership between Mohammad Rizwan and the World Cup debutant, Abdullah Shafique, changed the fortunes of the struggling Pakistani side.
The 176-run stand between the two batters provided their side the much-needed break and got them in a dominating position once again.
Batting first, the staggering batting display by Kusal Mendis and Sadeera Samarawickrama guided Sri Lanka to a massive 344-run total which was the highest-ever total against Pakistan in a World Cup match, overtaking India who scored 336 in the 2019 World Cup in Manchester, England.
Mendis scored a total of 122 runs on just 77 deliveries, at an impressive strike-rate of 158.44, as his knock included 14 hours and six sixes.
Meanwhile, Samarawickrama carried on the momentum and completed his century, scoring 108 runs in 89 balls with 13 boundaries.
- Mohammad Rizwan
