Sanjay Manjrekar lauds Sameer Rizvi's knock against Punjab Kings in IPL 2025
Sameer Rizvi played an unbeaten innings of 58 runs from just 25 balls at a whopping strike rate of 232, laced with five maximums and three fours. The right-hand batter was awarded Player of the Match for this exceptional inning.
Speaking on Rivi's knock at the Kuhl Fans Match Centre Live on JioHotstar, JioStar expert Sanjay Manjrekar said, 'He's coming of age, like many young Indian players this season. It hasn't been about the big names -- this IPL has belonged to the younger lot. What stood out in this innings was how he dominated spin and found ways to score against quality bowlers like Marco Jansen and Arshdeep Singh. And this was a proper chase -- there wasn't any advantage from dew, which can sometimes make it feel like you're already 20 runs ahead. That wasn't the case, and if not for Rizvi, I don't think Delhi Capitals would've pulled it off.'
Further, Manjrekar observed how the 18th edition of the cash-rich league has been defined by Gen Bold players.
'The big takeaway for me this IPL is the emergence of lesser-known players making a huge impact -- names like Sameer Rizvi, Shashank Singh, Nehal Wadhera, Naman Dhir, Priyansh Arya, and Prabhsimran Singh. There's even a 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi in the mix. It's been their IPL, more than the big iconic names. Those stars are fading, and these young players are taking centre stage -- that's been the story so far,' the 59-year-old added.
Coming to the match, DC won the toss and opted to bowl first. Half-century from skipper Shreyas Iyer (53 in 34 balls, with five fours and two sixes) and a quickfire cameo from Marcus Stoinis (44* in 16 balls, with three fours and four sixes) guided PBKS to 206/8.
Mustafizur Rahman (3/33) and spinners Vipraj Nigam (2/38) and Kuldeep Yadav (2/39) excelled with the ball for DC.
In the chase, DC started well with a 55-run stand between Rahul (35 in 21 balls, with six fours and a six) and Faf Du Plessis (23 in 15 balls, with two fours and a six). Nair (44 in 27 balls, with five fours and two sixes) paired up with Sameer (58* in 25 balls, with three fours and five sixes) to lay down the foundation for a perfect finish. While Nair and Sameer put on a 62-run stand, Sameer and Tristan Stubbs (18*) also put on a 53-run stand to win the game with three balls left.
DC ended the season with seven wins, six losses and a no result, giving them 15 points. PBKS are in the second spot, with eight wins, four losses and a no result, giving them 17 points. (ANI)
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