CSK’s Sameer Rizvi on first-ball six against Rashid...‘Have to go out and hit it big, was very clear about it’

Chennai: Uncapped batter Sameer Rizvi, who scored a quickfire 14 off six balls in Chennai Super Kings’ 63-run win over Gujarat Titans (GT) earlier this week, revealed that he was very clear about going out and hitting big boundaries from the word go, which resulted in him hitting a first-ball six against Rashid Khan.

“When Rashid came to bowl in the 19th over, the coach told me if a wicket falls, you will go out to bat. After that, it was set in my mind that it was the 19th over and it was a spinner bowling and 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 have to go out and hit it big – I was clear about that,” said Rizvi to reporters in Chennai.

He also credited the practice done in playing against spinner under the tutelage of his childhood coach-cum-maternal uncle Tankeeb Akhtar. “If you look at my previous matches, I have always been playing well against spinners.

“When I was a kid, my uncle (Tankeeb) was the one who made me practice batting against spin, he would bowl with tennis balls in a 30-yard circle. He would say if it goes out of that 30-yard circle it would be a six. So, slowly we kept practicing over the years.

The right-handed batter made his IPL debut in CSKs tournament opener against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, but didn’t get to bat. By the time his turn came to bat against GT, the pressure of coming out to bat had all but vanished.

“Before I stepped onto the ground at the team meeting, I received my debut cap. And that’s when I found out I was playing the first match. I was a little nervous when I was fielding but I never got to bat.”

“But, in the second match, I mellowed down a bit and was not feeling nervous, there was no such pressure. I think I got used to the crowd after the match, so that’s why I was not feeling much pressure.”

Rizvi admitted it took him time to get accustomed to white-ball action after playing red-ball cricket, notably in Uttar Pradesh’s campaign at the U23 Col CK Nayudu Trophy, but found his groove soon. IANS

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