Chennai Super Kings (CSK) batter Sameer Rizvi, who had an impressive start to his Indian Premier League (IPL) career, recently reminisced about hitting a six on his first ball against Rashid Khan. The promising young player made his debut in IPL 2024 during CSK’s opening match against the Gujarat Titans (GT).
Stepping in to bat in the 19th over, Rizvi made a statement with a powerful six off the renowned leg spinner Rashid. He executed a remarkable sweep shot that sent the ball over the square-leg boundary.
In an appearance on the ‘Second Innings with Manjot Kalra’ podcast, Rizvi shared that he was determined to play aggressively and wasn’t worried about getting out. The 20-year-old stated:
“What happened at that time was that Jaddu bhaiya, Mahi bhai and I were padded up. So, it was decided that Jaddu bhai or Mahi bhai would go to bat if a wicket fell. They gave the 19th over to Rashid Khan.”
“So, Jaddu bhaiya and Flemming, our coach, told me that I would go to bat if a wicket fell. It was the 19th over and the only thing on my mind was if I have to go now, I have to hit.” (2:18)
“You cannot look for single or double in the 19th over. I thought that if the ball was on my radar, I would hit. I went in with a free mind, thinking that even if I got out, it was okay,” he added.
Sameer Rizvi hit another six off Rashid Khan’s over, sending the final ball over long-off. The explosive batter ended with 14 runs from just six deliveries.
“The dream I had been discussing for so long has come true” – Sameer Rizvi on starting his IPL career with a six
Sameer Rizvi mentioned that the first thought that came to him after hitting a six on his first ball was that his long-held dream had finally come true. He shared this on the aforementioned podcast (from 3:09):
“The first thing that came to my mind after the six was that the thing I had been talking about for so many years had been fulfilled. Although it is not such a big achievement, it was the first thing that came to my mind.”
Following Sameer Rizvi’s debut, a video went viral on social media featuring a family member claiming that the batter had promised to hit a six on his first ball. He was acquired by CSK for an impressive ₹8.40 crore at the IPL 2023 auction.
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