Kanpur, August 30, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Impact Player Sameer Rizvi produced a stunning power-hitting display, smashing an unbeaten 91 off just 39 balls to steer Kanpur Superstars to an eight-wicket victory over Noida Kings in Match 25 of the UP T20 League 2026 at Green Park Stadium.
Rizvi’s explosive knock, which featured 11 boundaries and five sixes, kept Kanpur’s playoff hopes alive and handed Noida their second consecutive defeat.
The Player of the Match revealed that a finger injury suffered early in the tournament had influenced his decision to play as an Impact Player.
“In our first match, I took a catch and injured my finger. Since then, I’ve been having quite a lot of trouble while fielding,” Rizvi said. He added that he had requested the management to use him as an Impact Player because the injury caused pain while fielding and also affected his batting.
Heavy rain delayed the match, which was eventually reduced to 12 overs per side. Chasing 129, Kanpur lost both openers cheaply before Rizvi took charge.
“It’s important to show intent during the powerplay. Since it was a 12-over match and the target was around 130, if a team capitalizes on the powerplay, it becomes easier to control the game later,” he said.
Rizvi said he remained committed to his own game regardless of the required run rate or support at the other end.
“I was just thinking that I would play my game—the way I normally play—and bat like that till the end,” he said. “Whether we needed five runs or fifty runs, I had decided on that mindset before going in.”
Abhishek Pandey provided valuable support with an unbeaten 30 off 17 balls as Kanpur completed the chase in just 10.4 overs.
Earlier, Noida raced to 45/0 in 2.2 overs, with Shoaib Siddiqui scoring 20 off 10 and Madhav Kaushik making 31 off 11. Yashovardhan Singh then changed the course of the innings with 3/10, including a maiden, as Noida slipped to 69/5. Captain Prashant Veer’s unbeaten 50 off 27 balls helped them recover to 128/6.
Rizvi also praised stand-in captain Adarsh Singh for his tactical decisions during Noida’s strong start.
“He handled things really well. It was a flat wicket, and they got a good start initially. Even after that, he made some really good bowling changes and restricted them to a very low target,” Rizvi said.
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