Sameer Rizvi’s favourite shot, according to his uncle and mentor Tankeeb Akhtar, is stepping down the ground to loft the spinner for a straight six. Rizvi produced two such that would have pleased him, with Mumbai Indians leg-spinner Mayank Markande bearing the brunt.
The first one in the 12th over of Delhi Capitals’ chase was over long on. This hit was more about hand swing than foot movement. But the next was classic Rizvi, quickly coming down the track and launching a straight six.
On a pitch which was not conducive to slam-bang batting, the 22-year-old made it seem like the 22-yard strip had been switched when he walked into bat at No.4. His treatment of the tall South African fast bowler Corbin Bosch, though, was a testament to his confidence. It happened in the 11th over of the DC innings, just before Markande’s, shifting the momentum easily. Batting on 25 from 23 balls, Rizvi had flicked Bosch for a glorious six in the previous over. What followed was pure mayhem.