In a surprising incident during the Big Bash League (BBL), Melbourne Renegades’ captain retired Mohammad Rizwan mid-innings. Rizwan was asked to leave the field for seemingly slow batting. The unusual move occurred in the 33rd match of BBL’s 15th edition against Sydney Thunder.
Rizwan had scored 26 runs off 23 balls when the captain made him retire. The decision allowed the captain, Will Sutherland, to take the crease himself. A video shared by BBL shows Sutherland signaling Rizwan to return to the pavilion.
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Commentators praised the move on air, saying it could have been done earlier. However, the clip quickly went viral on social media. Fans reacted strongly, calling Rizwan’s forced retirement “embarrassing” and “unfair.”
Rizwan has struggled with the bat this BBL season. In eight matches, he has scored 167 runs at an average of 20.88. He has also failed to hit a single half-century so far.
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In the match, Melbourne Renegades batted first and posted 170 runs for 8 wickets in 20 overs. The game highlighted both strategic risks and tensions over batting pace.