Even in the era of modern T20 cricket, where roles are amorphous and benchmarks are constantly shifting, clarity has a stabilising effect.
At the Ekana Cricket Stadium here on Wednesday, with chaos roiling around him, 22-year-old Sameer Rizvi typified the virtues of simplicity with a coming-of-age, unbeaten 70 that guided Delhi Capitals to a six-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants.
On a night when the opposition perilously tinkered with its batting line-up and botched up its Impact Player substitution before his own team was staring down the barrel at 26 for four in the fifth over, not many would have blamed the Meerut-born batter had he lost his way.
However, with the team management placing faith in him and backing his instincts, Rizvi, who came in as DC’s Impact Player, had to grab the opportunity as a new season beckoned.
“The coaches had already told me that I would bat at No. 4, and they told me they would back my natural positive game. I bat at No. 4 even for Uttar Pradesh and in the UPT20 League. If I get to bat there in the IPL, it is a huge opportunity for me. They have also given me the freedom to play my natural game, so that also gives me a lot of confidence,” Rizvi said after his match-winning knock.
He was signed for a whopping Rs. 8.4 crore by Chennai Super Kings ahead of IPL 2024, largely owing to his reputation as a spin-basher and finisher in the UPT20 League. While his stocks fell following an underwhelming season with the Yellow Army, his maturity has grown manifold since.
With Mohammed Shami, Prince Yadav and Mohsin Khan making the ball talk in seam-friendly conditions, Rizvi took nine deliveries to get off the mark. But if one thought he was going to struggle against high pace and bounce, Rizvi dispelled that notion with a ramped six over third-man off Anrich Nortje.
“I had not hit a single boundary until that point. I had already faced 12 to 13 balls. I felt that it was a loose ball, so I went after it. I got a lot of confidence from that shot. After that, I was relaxed and felt that we could continue playing normal cricket,” Rizvi explained.
It was business as usual once Shahbaz Ahmed was introduced. With taking the spinners on being his strong suit, Rizvi dispatched the left-arm tweaker for three fours in an over. When Rishabh Pant turned to Aiden Markram, Rizvi tonked him for a six and a four to raise his 37-ball half-century and decisively turn the momentum in favour of the Capitals.
“It was easier to score runs off the spinners, so we planned to take them on. But even then, we would only hit the loose balls and not try to manufacture shots,” Rizvi said, explaining the game plan against LSG’s spinners, who conceded 35 runs in 2.1 overs while defending a mere 142.
Rizvi’s unbroken 119-run stand with Tristan Stubbs was built on an acute game awareness that minimised risk without losing sight of the target.
Stubbs played second fiddle with a 32-ball 39, allowing Rizvi, who plays for Uttar Pradesh on the domestic circuit, to make the most of the conditions he knew so well.
While the familiarity of a home venue helped Rizvi make hay on the day, his clarity of role and thought should hold him and Delhi Capitals in good stead for the rest of the season.
Published on Apr 02, 2026
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