Mumbai: Speaking exclusively on Kuhl Fans Match Centre Live on JioHotstar, JioStar expert Sanjay Manjrekar hailed Sameer Rizvi’s mature knock under pressure for Delhi Capitals against Punjab Kings:
“He’s coming of age, like many young Indian players this season. It hasn’t been about the big names — this IPL has belonged to the younger lot. What stood out in this innings was how he dominated spin and found ways to score against quality bowlers like Marco Jansen and Arshdeep Singh. And this was a proper chase — there wasn’t any advantage from dew, which can sometimes make it feel like you’re already 20 runs ahead. That wasn’t the case, and if not for Rizvi, I don’t think Delhi Capitals would’ve pulled it off.”
Manjrekar backed Gujarat Titans to be the first team to seal a top-two finish this season:
“I think Gujarat Titans might be the first team to secure a top-two spot. They’ve only dropped one game, which could be just what they need to recharge and come back stronger in the next match.”
Manjrekar lauded Karun Nair’s composed knock as the ideal template for a successful run chase:
“Karun Nair’s knock was impressive — very similar to how he started the season with that 89. He got going right away. Before hitting those sixes, he had a couple of sighters, and then he went after Harpreet Brar, who I thought was a key part of Punjab’s bowling attack. The sweep, the cut — he executed them beautifully. When one of your two reliable bowlers gets taken apart, it puts immense pressure on the rest. Stoinis had to step in, Omarzai too. I couldn’t quite understand why Marco Jansen, an experienced South African international, didn’t bowl with the new ball or at the death. Stoinis ended up bowling the 20th over, Arshdeep went for runs in the 16th and 19th, and Omarzai was expensive earlier. It wasn’t the strongest bowling attack overall, and Karun Nair capitalised. When you look at the scorecard, his innings became the perfect template for how to anchor and control a chase.”
Manjrekar reflected on KL Rahul’s approach and highlights the importance of batting depth in high-pressure games:
“He played just 21 balls, which is interesting because KL Rahul often takes it upon himself to bat deep. But in today’s chase, they got to 200 without anyone scoring big — and that’s what T20 cricket is about. It’s about having that mindset of getting the team closer to the target, even if it means shorter impactful innings. Gujarat Titans do that well, but their Achilles heel remains performing under play-off pressure. Teams that have tested their batting depth are better prepared to handle any unforeseen crisis.”
Manjrekar commented on Punjab Kings’ bowling depth after their failure to defend 200 against Delhi Capitals:
“I think Punjab Kings’ bowling attack leaves them a bit vulnerable. But if they can sort out their bowling a little, things could improve. I’m not sure why Chahal didn’t play. In the end, when they couldn’t defend 200, it wasn’t about bowling poorly — it just looked like they lacked the ability. Stoinis, despite his best efforts, was never going to defend 8 or 10 runs in the final over. The same applies to Omarzai in these conditions.”
Manjrekar observed how TATA IPL 2025 has been defined by Gen Bold players:
“The big takeaway for me this IPL is the emergence of lesser-known players making a huge impact — names like Sameer Rizvi, Shashank Singh, Nehal Wadhera, Naman Dhir, Priyansh Arya, and Prabhsimran Singh. There’s even a 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi in the mix. It’s been their IPL, more than the big iconic names. Those stars are fading, and these young players are taking centre stage — that’s been the story so far.”
