Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan has been in top form for his team over the last two years or so, which has seen him rise to the top of the ICC rankings in T20Is. India batter Suryakumar Yadav, too, has been on the charge since making his debut last year, and is currently second behind Rizwan in the rankings. On Friday, Rizwan smashed an unbeaten 78 to help Pakistan beat Bangladesh in the opening match of a tri-series in Hamilton.
During the post-match press conference, Rizwan was asked about Suryakumar closing in on him at the top of charts.
While lauding the Indian batter, Rizwan said that batting at the top and in the middle is different.
"Suryakumar Yadav is a good player. I like the way how he plays, but if you take a closer look at the scheme of things, batting at the top of the order, and in the middle is different," Rizwan said after helping Pakistan beat Bangladesh in the first T20I of the tri-series.
Rizwan, with 854 rating points, leads Suryakumar (838) by 16 rating points in the T20I rankings.
Rizwan further suggested that he likes to play as per the requirement of the team, instead of rankings and accolades, which he considers as added incentives.
"I try to perform as per the requirements of the team, and if i'm being rewarded with the number 1 rank and man of the match awards, that's up to god. There are times when you have to score 40 off 60 deliveries for the teams. So I try to fulfill the demands of the team," he added.