Mohammad Rizwan Hits Unbeaten 200 in Quaid-e-Azam Trophy After England Axing

Rizwan converts overnight 111 into 200 not out

Mohammad Rizwan answered his axing from the Pakistan Test side with an unbeaten 200 off 252 balls for Peshawar Blues against Faisalabad Region in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2026-27 at the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium on Wednesday 4 November 2026. The innings included 35 fours and a six. Rizwan resumed the second day on 111 not out and went on to the double hundred, his 16th first-class century and his second double century in first-class cricket, the first since his 224 in 2014, a gap of 12 years.

Peshawar were 127 for 3 when Rizwan joined Najab Khan at the crease. By stumps on day one, the pair had added 179 unbeaten runs and Peshawar had reached 306 for 3, with Rizwan on 111 and Najab on 101. The fourth wicket stand eventually reached 246 runs, with Najab making 133, his maiden first-class hundred in only his third match. Mohammad Haris added an unbeaten 70 from 69 balls, and Peshawar declared at 503 for 4 in 115.2 overs.

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Faisalabad were 118 for 2 at stumps on day two, trailing by 385 runs. On day three they were dismissed for 259, and Peshawar enforced the follow-on.

What the double hundred means

Rizwan was sent home during the England tour and left out of the Pakistan Test side. Wisden reports he remains the subject of an ongoing probe by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency in Pakistan, and Dawn described the double hundred as a resounding comeback.

The timing matters. Pakistan host Sri Lanka in a Test series starting with the first Test at Rawalpindi from 9 to 13 November 2026, and a wicketkeeper batter scoring 200 not out in the domestic first-class competition is impossible for the selectors to ignore. The innings does not guarantee a recall, but it puts Rizwan's name back in the selection debate on the weight of runs, not reputation.

Score summary

Peshawar Blues 503 for 4 declared: Mohammad Rizwan 200 not out (252 balls, 35 fours, 1 six), Najab Khan 133, Mohammad Haris 70 not out. Faisalabad 118 for 2 at stumps on day two, then 259 all out on day three, follow-on enforced.

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Frequently asked questions

How many runs did Mohammad Rizwan score? Rizwan scored 200 not out off 252 balls, with 35 fours and one six, for Peshawar Blues against Faisalabad in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy.

When was Rizwan's last double hundred before this one? His previous first-class double hundred was 224 in 2014, so this was his first in 12 years and only the second of his first-class career.

Why was Rizwan out of the Pakistan team? He was sent home during the England tour and left out of the Test side, and he has since returned to domestic cricket.

Sources: Geo Super, Wisden, A-Sports, The Express Tribune, Dawn, CricketWorld.

In the same opening round: FATA win, Babar falls twice

Rizwan's double hundred was not the only story of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy opening round. FATA beat Lahore Whites by 241 runs at the Diamond Cricket Ground in Islamabad, with centuries from Fawad Arshad and Mohammad Farooq, as reported in FATA Beat Lahore Whites by 241 Runs. Babar Azam, playing for Lahore Whites, made 28 and 42 in the two innings, and his frustration showed after the second dismissal. The first Test against Sri Lanka starts in Rawalpindi on Monday 9 November, so Babar's next innings is a Test innings, as previewed in Pakistan vs Sri Lanka First Test: Rawalpindi Preview. The contrast is the story of the round: Rizwan answered his axing with 200 not out, while the Test captain could not pass 50 in either innings.