LUCKNOW, July 7 -- Batter Sameer Rizvi may not have had good IPL seasons, except in Delhi Capitals' last league match when he scored an unbeaten half-century for the team, but his track record in the Uttar Pradesh Twenty20 League has been quite surprising, as he has established himself as the biggest hitter of the ball. Rizvi, who led Kanpur Superstars to finish as runners-up in the second edition of the League last year, now aims to reach the pinnacle in the third edition, which is expected to be played in a hybrid mode in August with matches split between Lucknow and Kanpur. These days, Rizvi is busy sharpening his skills at his uncle's academy in Meerut and hopes that this time things turn out in his favour. "We missed the top berth in the event last season, but this time, we are well prepared to win the trophy," said Rizvi. Rizvi played the 2023 edition for the Kanpur Superstars and was the second-highest run-scorer with 455 runs in nine innings, including two centuries, one of which was the fastest of the tournament (47 balls). In the second season in 2024, he scored 469 runs in 13 matches, with 89 being his best against Lucknow Falcons. Earning the moniker "Right-handed Suresh Raina", Rizvi was picked for an eye-popping Rs 8.40 crore by Chennai Super Kings in 2024. He lived up to his billing of being a spin-basher as he smashed the first ball he faced in the IPL, off Rashid Khan, for a six over square leg. He then charged at Rashid and cleared the long-off fielder for another six. However, Rizvi could score a meagre 51 runs in eight innings and was let go by CSK. At the mega auction before IPL 2025, Rizvi was picked by Delhi Capitals for Rs 95 lakh. "I enjoyed my stint with Delhi Capitals this season, and I find my knock against Punjab Kings in the last league match as one of the memorable ones of mine," said Rizvi. A regular face of Uttar Pradesh cricket in the domestic circuit, Rizvi has, so far, scored 1100 runs, including 601 runs in 33 T20 games, at a strike rate 136.90. "Regional leagues like UPT20L have given a new platform to local cricketers to showcase their talents at a certain level and draw the attention of IPL franchises," he said, adding, "Many from Uttar Pradesh have made it to the IPL teams only after showing well in the UPT20L and I find this event quite lucrative for the youngsters of Uttar Pradesh." Rizvi said since last month's mini auction for the UPT20L, he had been training hard on his own. "Only good training can keep you going, and I am sure that soon we will be having combined training for the next season. We have picked the right players for the new season and hope to fare well this time." "There is a new team, new players have come, and the old ones are also there. So, as the team has been formed, it seems to be a very good combination of players. We will tell everyone that whatever their potential is, they should put up a show," he said. "There is no need to take pressure. We have to perform, and we need to have a goal that we have to win. Everyone should have one thing in their mind that we have to win the tournament," he added. Rizvi also praised coach Gyanendra Pandey for his vision to manage the side well in the UPT20L. "We made a cautious selection of players, and coach Pandey was a big help. Gyanu Bhai has done a lot in coaching for Uttar Pradesh, and his knowledge of the game matters a lot." Rizvi added there was a lot of difference between the UPL and IPL."A lot of things change. If you are young and playing with such big players, then everyone feels pressure. They also feel pressure that they have been playing for so many years in IPL. I too was under pressure in the first season of the IPL, but learnt many things in the second."...