New Delhi, April 2 – Former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen has praised young batter Sameer Rizvi after his unbeaten 70 off 47 balls helped Delhi Capitals (DC) secure a dominant six-wicket victory against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in their opening match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, played at the Ekana Cricket Stadium on Wednesday.
Pietersen, who served as a mentor with DC last year, revealed that he closely observed Rizvi during the previous season and was impressed by the Indian batter's skills. He urged DC's management to continue supporting Rizvi, who he believes will deliver match-winning performances.
"He played the situation perfectly, and I'm not surprised. I spent a lot of time with Sameer last season, observing him closely. He scored a century in a practice game, but unfortunately, he didn't get a place in the first half of the tournament. However, when he got his opportunity later in the season, he showed his potential, and everyone recognized that he was a talented player, and we probably needed to invest in him," Pietersen told Jio Hotstar.
"When you invest in a young player, you need to trust that they will pay you back, and he has done exactly that. He performed exceptionally well under pressure. Winning a crucial game, especially the first match of the IPL, in a tense situation with a lot of attention on you, makes you feel far better than just scoring a century in a high-scoring match," he added.
Pietersen also supported Delhi Capitals' coach's decision to send Tristan Stubbs ahead of experienced batter David Miller, as according to the former England opener, Miller is best suited as a finisher, and Stubbs, who plays at number three in Tests, can better handle the pressure.
"It's not a difficult decision. Tristan Stubbs is a Test batter at number three. You need someone who can face the new ball, someone who is solid in defence, and someone who can handle pressure. David Miller is a white-ball player, a finisher, and not the kind of player you would want to send in at that stage of the game," he said.
"You have a player in Tristan Stubbs who is full of confidence. You're making it sound like it's the best decision ever made. But when you're down to four wickets for 20, and it's between Tristan Stubbs and David Miller, who are you sending in? You're sending in Tristan Stubbs," he added.
