Overview
- BBL footage showed Will Sutherland signaling Rizwan to leave at the end of the 18th over, a legal move that made Rizwan the first overseas player recorded as retired out in league history.
- Replacing Rizwan did not lift the finish as Sutherland was run out for 1, the Renegades added only 16 in the last two overs to reach 170/8, and Sydney Thunder won via a revised 140 target in 16 overs.
- Hassan Khan top-scored for Melbourne with 46 off 31, while Thunder’s David Willey, Ryan Hadley and Wes Agar each took two wickets to contain the innings.
- Rizwan’s BBL campaign has struggled to ignite, with 167 runs in eight innings at a strike rate just above 100 and his first six of the season arriving earlier in the same knock.
- The decision prompted heavy online criticism alongside some analyst support, with commentators noting the call could have been made earlier and highlighting the tactic’s growing, if rare, use in T20 cricket.