The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is reportedly planning a big change in its T20I Cricket leadership. There is a strong chance that current white-ball captain Mohammad Rizwan will be removed as the T20I captain.This decision comes after Pakistan National Cricket Team poor performance in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

Also Read:“You’ve gone from a Ferrari to a rickshaw” - Mohammad Amir Takes a Dig at Mohammad Rizwan After Pakistan’s Early Champions Trophy Exit

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Rizwan's Leadership Under Scrutiny

As of March 2, 2025, reports suggest that Rizwan's future as the T20I captain is in jeopardy especially after Pakistan National Cricket Team early exit from the Champions Trophy. The team which had high hopes as the host nation suffered defeats to New Zealand National Cricket Team and India National Cricket Team failing to reach the knockout stages. Rizwan’s personal performance in key moments including a 46 off 77 balls against Rohit Sharma-led India Cricket Team drew widespread criticism for being too slow in a high-stakes game.

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Senior journalist Ejaz Wasim Bakhri has indicated that PCB Chief Mohsin Naqvi has already made the decision to relieve Rizwan of his T20I captaincy duties. Rizwan took over as Pakistan’s white-ball captain in late 2024 leading the team to success in ODI series against Australia and South Africa but the Champions Trophy failure has cast doubt over his leadership abilities.

Shadab Khan Poised to Take Over

In the aftermath of Pakistan's early exit the PCB is reportedly looking to reduce Rizwan’s workload, with Shadab Khan emerging as the frontrunner to replace him as T20I captain. Shadab who has previously led Pakistan in white-ball formats when Rizwan or Babar Azam were unavailable is now likely to lead the team in the upcoming T20I series against New Zealand.