For CSK, Sameer Rizvi can assume Ambati Rayudu’s role: Michael Hussey

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) batting coach Michael Hussey believes that new addition Sameer Rizvi might step in for Ambati Rayudu. A few days before the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) kicked off, he made these remarks. On Thursday, March 22, at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, the reigning champions, CSK, will play the curtain-raiser versus Royal Challengers Bangalore.

At the IPL 2024 mini-auction held in Dubai in December of last year, CSK paid an incredible INR 8.4 crore to acquire Rizvi. In the UPT20 league the previous season, the rookie hitter had an incredible effect, scoring 455 runs at an outstanding average of over 50 in 10 games, including two tons and a half-century. Hussey said the 20-year-old has a lot of natural ability given his potential and he is convinced CSK will help him improve so he can give it his all on the field.

Definitely. He can certainly fill that role, in my opinion. Ambati Rayudu, after all, is a very seasoned player with a ton of playing experience. Thus, despite Rizvi only beginning his IPL career, he is an experienced campaigner,” Hussey remarked at the opening of the Pavit Singh Nayar Memorial intercollegiate T20 competition at Guru Nanak College in Chennai.

It is therefore unrealistic to expect Rizvi to perform exactly what Rayudu has been doing for a long time. He has a lot of natural talent, so we can certainly start developing him. It’s thrilling, then. “Observing his potential is thrilling,” he continued.

The young batsman will be in the middle of the order, according to the renowned Australian batsman, who also described him as a “very talented young prospect.” He said he was excited to work with the cricketer, who was born in Meerut, in order to help him improve as a player overall.

He should bat in the middle of the order, in my opinion. It’s clear that he is a natural ball striker. He was the first person I saw yesterday. He appears to be a really gifted young man. In light of this, I’m excited to work with him one-on-one and just assist him in raising his game—not just for this competition but also for years to come. Although there are still many years in his career, we still want him to do well in this IPL,” he said.

Complete CSK IPL 2024 roster:

MS Dhoni (c), Moeen Ali, Deepak Chahar, Devon Conway, Tushar Deshpande, Shivam Dube, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Ravindra Jadeja, Ajay Mandal, Mukesh Choudhary, Matheesha Pathirana, Ajinkya Rahane, Shaik Rasheed, Mitchell Santner, Simarjeet Singh, Nishant Sindhu, Prashant Solanki, Maheesh Theekshana, Rachin Ravindra, Shardul Thakur, Daryl Mitchell, Sameer Rizvi, Mustafizur Rahman, Avanish Rao Aravelly

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