0 runs on 9 balls…then 70 in 47 balls, who is Sameer Rizvi, who single-handedly turned the lost game around?

New Delhi. The pain of losing to one's own roots on the cricket field is the deepest. A similar scene was seen at Ekana Stadium. Standing on the same soil of Uttar Pradesh which taught Sameer Rizvi the art of cricket, this young batsman dashed the aspirations of Lucknow Super Giants. This date of April 1, 2026 proved to be a golden one for Delhi Capitals and a nightmare for Lucknow. Delhi Capitals had a modest target of 142 runs, but Mohammed Shami created a sensation by dismissing KL Rahul for a golden duck on the very first ball of the innings. Within no time, Delhi's score became 4 wickets for 26 runs. In such a situation, Delhi fielded its trump card in the form of 'Sameer Rizvi'.

The beginning was very bad. At one time Sameer Rizvi was playing on 0 runs in 9 balls and just 5 runs in 13 balls. Thousands of spectators present in the stadium were making noise and the Lucknow bowlers were spitting fire. But this boy from Meerut refused to blink an eye. Along with Tristan Stubbs, he not only handled the innings but also turned the match around by attacking the spinners. Rizvi played an unbeaten inning of 70 runs in 47 balls, which included 4 sixes and 5 fours.

Journey from the streets of Meerut to the hero of Ekana
Behind the success of Sameer Rizvi are years of penance and the unwavering faith of his father Haseen Rizvi. Sameer was born on 6 December 2003 in Meerut, which is called the 'nursery' of Indian cricket. His father wanted Sameer to achieve what many talented players are unable to do due to financial constraints. Sameer's father works as a property dealer. Sameer's first coach was his maternal uncle Tankib Akhtar. Tankib recognized Sameer's talent when he was very young. He worked for hours on Sameer's footwork and ability to play against spin. This is why when he sent the balls of spinners like Shahbaz Ahmed and Aiden Markram out of the boundary, the training given by his uncle was clearly visible.

There was chaos in domestic cricket
Sameer Rizvi first came into limelight when he made his first-class debut for Uttar Pradesh in 2020. But his real identity came from the UP T20 League of 2023. In that tournament, he scored 455 runs and hit 35 sixes and caught the attention of the selectors. Because of his 'power hitting', Chennai Super Kings (CSK) bought him in the 2024 auction for a huge amount of Rs 8.4 crore. In the 2025 mega auction, Delhi Capitals included him in their team for Rs 95 lakh. Seeing his batting today, it seems that Delhi has achieved the 'Bargain of the Decade'.

The bowlers also showed their strength
Before Rizvi's batting, Delhi bowlers had brought Lucknow to its knees. Lungi Ngidi (3/27) and T. Natarajan (3/29) took advantage of the slow pace of the pitch and bowled out Lucknow for 141 runs. Mitchell Marsh (35) and Abdul Samad (36) struggled for Lucknow, but that score proved insufficient.

a bitter lesson
This defeat is a tough lesson for Lucknow Super Giants. Sometimes the biggest threat is not the international stars of the opposition team, but the 'local boy' who knows every nook and corner of your courtyard. Sameer Rizvi did the same in Ekana. He made the 'Fortress of Spin' his playground. At the end of the match, when Sameer won by hitting a six, the whole of Meerut and Uttar Pradesh danced. Delhi has got a new match winner, and IPL has got a star who can be the future of Indian cricket in the times to come.