Tankeeb Akhtar was choked with emotion on Tuesday when Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Gujarat Titans and Delhi Capitals engaged in an intense bidding war for his nephew Sameer Rizvi (right), a 20-year-old batter from Uttar Pradesh, at the Indian Premier league (IPL) auction in Dubai.
The bid settled at a whopping Rs8.40 crore ($1.3 million), with the young cricketer going to Chennai for IPL 2024.
It was an unparalleled moment for both Akhtar and Sameer, as the latter became the most expensive uncapped player at the auction.
It also came after massive struggles for the family, as Sameer’s father Haseen has not been able to work owing to poor health.
“We were expecting Sameer to get picked by some team in the auction. But we never expected this big money or CSK to bid for him,” Akhtar told the Press Trust of India.
“Now we are looking ahead to a brighter future.
“Sameer has a lot of ambitions – buying a good house, proper treatment for his father, and a lot of things like that. With Allah’s blessings, he can meet all of that.
“Sameer is also thrilled that he can finally meet (CSK captain and Indian legend) M.S. Dhoni from close quarters and share space with him.”
Sameer said he is excited about the chance to play for CSK, but admitted he was nervous when his name came up in the auction.
“I noticed that five players before me went unsold. I was nervous at that time,” he told Jio Cinema. “But he (Dhoni) has always been my idol. I am very excited, yet nervous about the prospect of meeting him. I have never seen him in front of my eyes.”
So what prompted CSK and other teams to go on a bidding war for this Uttar Pradesh lad?
Sameer caught the eyes of IPL talent scouts during the UP T20 League while playing for Kanpur Super Stars.
He hammered 455 runs from nine matches, including the fastest hundred in the tournament off 47 balls.
The lad carried that form into the state Under-23 tournament where he smashed 454 runs from seven matches.
But, more than those runs, it was Sameer’s ability to clear the ropes by several metres that fascinated the scouts. The young batter smoked 72 sixes across 16 matches in those tournaments.
“It is his natural game. He has been a big-hitter from a young age. He has interacted and played with seasoned players like Nitish Rana and Rinku Singh (in UP T20 League) and they have also told him to play his natural game. It helped him a lot,” said Akhtar, who is Sameer’s coach and mentor.
“He’s living my dream. I knew he was a big hitter, and he showed promise from the time he was six. In 15 years, we did not take an off for even 15 days. It’s sheer hard work that has got him here.”
Sameer was sceptical of getting an IPL contract once he missed trials with a few teams because of his state commitments.
“I told him don’t worry, the opportunity will come to you. You keep performing on the field. SG (Sanspareils Greenlands, the cricket gear manufacturer) helped him a lot through sponsorship of equipment,” said Akhtar.
He doesn’t want his nephew to just make waves donning CSK’s “Canary Yellow” but to realise his ultimate goal of wearing the “India Blue”.
“We are happy our efforts have borne fruits, and finally (an IPL contract) has come his way. There are tears in the eyes of everyone at home. Hopefully, he will go and play for India one day,” said Akhtar.
The elation among the entire family was palpable.
Haseen, a property dealer, said: “I am speechless. What else can a father ask for? I am the happiest man on the planet.
“I used to thrash him for not studying, and even rebuked my brother-in-law Tankeeb for distracting him from his studies. It’s only now he managed to clear his Class 10 exams, but that doesn’t matter anymore. God’s will prevails in the end.”
Indo-Asian News Service
