Key Points

Sameer Rizvi is determined to recapture his batting form from last year's UP T20 League where he was the second-highest run scorer. Despite Kanpur Superstars losing their first three matches under his captaincy, Rizvi believes the team is improving gradually. The right-handed batter emphasizes his role is to play till the end and finish games for his side. Rizvi, who was bought by CSK for 8.4 crore in 2023, recently had a decent IPL season with Delhi Capitals.

Key Points: Sameer Rizvi Aims to Replicate UP T20 Success for Kanpur Superstars

  • Rizvi scored 469 runs last UP T20 season as second-highest scorer
  • Kanpur Superstars lost all three opening matches this season
  • Rizvi confident team is reducing mistakes game by game
  • Delhi Capitals batter had decent IPL 2025 with 121 runs
2 min read

UP T20: Sameer Rizvi aims to replicate last year's success with bat for Kanpur Superstars

Kanpur Superstars captain Sameer Rizvi targets finishing games like last season despite slow start in UP T20 League 2025, confident in team's improvement.

"My job is to finish the game like I was playing last year - Sameer Rizvi"

Lucknow, August 22

Kanpur Superstars captain Sameer Rizvi reflected on his role for his team in the ongoing UP T20 League 2025. The right-handed batter said his job is to play till the end and finish the game for his side like he did in the previous editions.

Rizvi, so far in three matches, had a quiet outing with the bat, scoring 89 runs at an average of 29.67 and a strike rate of 132.84.

However, last year, Rizvi had a brilliant season, finishing with 469 runs in 13 innings with a 40+ average and the second-highest run scorer of the tournament.

Speaking to ANI, Rizvi said, "Everyone has been given their role. So, I also have a role that I have to play till the end. My job is to finish the game. Like I was playing last year. And I used to finish the game by making runs. So, this year, I will also try the same in the upcoming matches."

Under his captaincy, Kanpur has lost all three of their opening fixture in the ongoing UP T20 league. The Superstars are placed at the bottom of the points table. Rizvi feels his team is improving game by game and slowly reducing mistakes from previous clashes.

"We have played three matches. So, we are improving game by game. And the mistakes we made in the first match. They are slowly reducing. So, we are talking about it in the meeting. We have also discussed it in practice. We will reduce the small mistakes. So that we can improve in the game. Because the whole tournament is left. If we come back from here like last year," he added.

Rizvi came into the limelight last year when he was acquired by Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for a whopping Rs 8.4 crore in the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction back in 2023.

However, he did not have the best debut season as he only made 51 runs in eight matches.

In last year's IPL mega auction, he was picked by Delhi Capitals (DC). He had a decent IPL 2025 where he slammed 121 runs in five matches at an average of 40.33 with an unbeaten innings of 58 runs from just 25 balls at a whopping strike rate of 232, laced with five maximums and three fours against Punjab Kings (PBKS).

DC ended the season with seven wins, six losses and a no result, giving them 15 points.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Last year he was phenomenal! 469 runs is no joke. Every player goes through rough patches. Have faith in Rizvi bhai! 💪
R
Rohit P
That 58* off 25 balls against PBKS in IPL was pure fire! 🔥 The talent is there, just needs consistency. UP cricket needs players like him to shine.
S
Sarah B
It's good that he's acknowledging the mistakes and working on them. Captaincy pressure can affect batting performance. Hope he turns it around soon!
V
Vikram M
CSK paid 8.4 crore and he scored only 51 runs? That's disappointing yaar. Hope he justifies his price tag in upcoming matches.
K
Kavya N
The tournament is still long! Remember how CSK always starts slow and finishes strong? Maybe Sameer has learned that mentality 😄

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