Sameer Rizvi Rescue: Impact Substitute Anchors Delhi to Six-Wicket Win
sameer rizvi struck an unbeaten 70 off 47 to steer Delhi Capitals to a six-wicket victory over Lucknow Super Giants at Ekana Cricket Stadium on April 2, 2026 (ET). He entered as the impact player in the fourth over and rebuilt a chase that had slumped to 26-4. Rizvi’s partnership with Tristan Stubbs put the game beyond reach after Lucknow were bowled out for 141.
Sameer Rizvi’s match-turning knock
The impact substitute came in for Thangarasu Natarajan and carried his team through a tense chase, finishing 145-4 in 17. 1 overs while remaining unbeaten on 70. Rizvi struck four sixes and five boundaries, pacing an unbroken 119-run stand with Tristan Stubbs, who finished 39 not out. Delhi’s top order had folded early against pace and movement, but Rizvi’s measured aggression and timing turned the momentum.
Immediate reactions from the dressing room
“Playing at home, you know the conditions and that helped as my state league takes place here, ” Sameer Rizvi, impact player substitute for Delhi Capitals, said after the win. “Stubbs said ‘respect the conditions’ (and) once we were set, we knew we could play our natural game. “
Rishabh Pant, wicketkeeper for Delhi Capitals, reflected on his own dismissal: “Best way to recover from my dismissal is to ignore it as you can’t control it. ” Cheteshwar Pujara, former India cricketer, praised the team’s decision to deploy Rizvi as the impact substitute and said the management backing him paid off, noting the importance of the stabilising fifth-wicket stand under challenging conditions.
Quick context
Lucknow were dismissed for 141 in 18. 4 overs, with Lungi Ngidi and T Natarajan each taking three wickets while Mukesh Kumar troubled the batsmen in the power play. Delhi had slumped to 26-4 inside the power play before the Rizvi-Stubbs partnership rescued the chase.
What’s next
Cheteshwar Pujara urged Delhi’s management to continue backing Rizvi after this clutch performance, and the team now faces a choice: retain him as a high-impact substitute or promote him into the starting XI. Team selection and how the management uses the impact player role will be watched closely in the coming fixtures; sameer rizvi’s finish has put that debate squarely in focus as Delhi plans its next steps following this opening win.
