Rizlan hits 62 as hosts Qatar rebound to rout Maldives by 98 runs

Doha: Vice-captain Mohammed Rizlan scored his maiden T20I half-century and fired hosts Qatar to hand a 98-run thrashing to Maldives in the second match yesterday. With other batsmen failing to find their timing, Rizlan smashed three sixes and half a dozen fours to get 62 off 46 balls, which enabled the home team to record 154 for six. 

Qatar skipper Iqbal Hussain Choudhry and veteran Muhammad Tanveer also added creditable scores for their team. While Tanveer (20 off 22) was involved in a 79-run stand for the third wicket with Rizlan, Choudhry (22 not out off 11) and Muhammad Murad Khan (3 not out) gathered 25 runs off 15 balls to take the total past 150-mark. 

Qatar, who lost the opener to Bahrain by eight wickets, were determined to make up for that loss and bowled a tight length when Maldives launched the chase. With no batsman showing any adventurism, the hosts kept tightening the screws and shot them out finally for 56 with seven balls to go.