Sameer Rizvi announced his arrival in the Indian Premier League (IPL) in grand style on Tuesday, smashing a six off Gujarat Titans spinner Rashid Khan on the very first ball of his IPL career.
Rizvi wasted no time making his mark, launching two sixes in his first four deliveries. He faced the challenge of Rashid Khan, one of the world's best T20 bowlers, with confidence and executed a perfect sweep to send the ball over the boundary for a maximum. Rizvi took 14 runs off the renowned spinner.
A video of Rizvi's family cheering for him went viral on social media. It was heartwarming to see how happy and proud they were of him.
Watch video here:
This skill had already been on display in the Uttar Pradesh T20 league, but witnessing it at the elite IPL level was truly special for Rizvi.
Rizvi's talent sparked a bidding war at the IPL auction. Starting at a base price of Rs 20 lakh, his price skyrocketed after CSK initiated the bidding process, followed by Gujarat Titans. The two franchises aggressively pursued him, driving the bid past Rs 1 crore and beyond. Ultimately, CSK secured Rizvi with a winning bid of Rs 8.40 crore.
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Rizvi's cameo, along with valuable contributions from Shivam Dube, Rachin Ravindra, and Ruturaj Gaikwad, helped Chennai Super Kings post a commanding total of 206/6 in their 20 overs.
The CSK openers, Gaikwad and Ravindra, laid a strong foundation with a 62-run opening partnership. However, Rashid Khan provided the breakthrough, dismissing Ravindra for a well-made 46 runs in the final over of the powerplay.
Ajinkya Rahane, batting at number three, couldn't capitalize on the opportunity, managing just 12 runs at a run-a-ball rate. Gaikwad, meanwhile, continued his good form but fell agonizingly short of his half-century, finishing with 46 runs.
