Last Updated on 3 months ago by Charbel Coorey

Muhammad Rizwan’s difficult BBL season has sunk to a new low, forced to retire out by his teammates during the Melbourne Renegades’ match against Sydney Thunder at ENGIE Stadium.

The Renegades were 154/4 after 18 overs with Rizwan batting on 26 off 23 balls. Hassan Khan was striking the ball nicely at the other end, notching up 36 runs off the same number of deliveries.

The Renegades took matters into their own hands, calling Rizwan out with two overs to go in the innings. Moises Henriques, speaking on Fox Cricket, confirmed it was a Renegades management decision, rather than one from Will Sutherland who was next to bat.

Muhammad Rizwan asked to retire out: Renegades recruit striking at 101.82

In BBL 2025/26, Rizwan has managed 167 runs at an average of 20.87 and strike rate of 101.82. His first six in the tournament came against the Thunder, in his eighth match.

“Will Sutherland is calling in Rizwan,” said Mark Waugh on Fox Cricket commentary. “I like this, we saw it when Nic Maddinson retired himself out not long ago… a couple of games ago and Daniel Sams came into bat because he wasn’t quite middling the ball.

“I think this is a really good move. It maybe could have happened an over or two earlier actually.”

Sutherland was out for one after facing just the single delivery, run out on the non-strikers’ end.

Fans were all over the call to retire Rizwan out on social media. “Rizwan just doesn’t have the power game for modern T20s. Still a fine player in ODIs and Tests,” wrote one fan on X (formerly Twitter).

“Rizwan has become the first batter from Pakistan to be retired out for tactical reasons in 20 overs T20 cricket,” wrote another.