Rizvi’s Powerplay: Super Kings’ rookie sets IPL ablaze
Now picture yourself slog-sweeping Rashid for a six and just two balls later coming down the track to clear long-off for a six once again.
CHENNAI: Imagine being picked by one of the most successful franchises in the IPL at the age of 20 and facing your first ball against a bonafide T20 great Rashid Khan. Now picture yourself slog-sweeping Rashid for a six and just two balls later coming down the track to clear long-off for a six once again. If you did all of those with aplomb, then you are Sameer Rizvi.
Hailing from Meerut in Uttar Pradesh, the youngster caught the eye of the fans and the entire cricketing fraternity with his blazing debut innings of 14 (6b, 2x6) against Gujarat Titans (GT) at Chepauk on Tuesday.
“When Rashid came to bowl in the 19th over, the coach told me if the wicket fell, you’d go out to bat. After that, it was set in my mind that if they are sending me at this point of the match, anyone who walks in will be expected to smash boundaries. So, in my head, only one thing was going on—I had to go out and hit it big. I was clear about that,” said Rizvi, in a media interaction.
Nobody expected CSK to send youngster Rizvi ahead of Ravindra Jadeja in the 19th over against GT, but given the fact that he was picked in the auction for a whopping price of Rs 8.4 crore, it shows the faith of the management in the 20-year-old.
“It was a very nice feeling to be picked by CSK. It was my dream to meet and play with Bhaiya (Dhoni). And that dream was fulfilled. Apart from that, I really did not expect to get picked by CSK or any other franchise for this amount. But I think they showed faith in me, so I really liked that. One thing that I like most about this team is that everyone supports one another; all of them are very helpful; it is amazing,” he said.
One of the important reasons for CSK to pick him for this amount is his power-hitting ability, which he showed during the Uttar Pradesh T20 League in 2023 (455 runs in just nine innings).
“Our season began with the UP T20 league, and a good performance in that league brings in a lot of confidence and gives a lot of exposure. I feel that played a role in the auction. I am thankful to Rajeev (Shukla) Sir for the league. Not just for me, it was helpful to a lot of other young players. After that league, the season went completely well, as I went on to perform well in T20 and U-23. I benefited a lot from the UP T20 league,” he concluded.
“It was a very nice feeling to be picked by CSK. It was my dream to meet and play with Bhaiya (Dhoni). And that dream was fulfilled
