'I mean, that's just crazy' - Michael Hussey heaps praise on Sameer Rizvi after his first-ball six against Rashid Khan

Chennai Super Kings have been high-flying in the IPL (Indian Premier League) 2024. Having played two games in the tournament so far, Chennai have managed to register dominant wins in both of their matches and are currently unbeaten. 

The side’s latest clash came against Shubman Gill’s Gujarat Titans. Both sides faced off at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on March 26, and there were several performances that stood out from the clash. 

One of the players who heavily impressed in the game was 20-year-old Sameer Rizvi. Hitting Rashid Khan for two brilliant sixes, Rizvi announced himself on the biggest stage, and CSK’s batting coach, Michael Hussey, could not keep calm. 

It is worth noting that, after hitting Rashid Khan for two sixes, Sameer Rizvi scored 14 runs in six deliveries and helped the five-time champions post a total of 206 runs in the first innings of the clash.

"Well, he's got a lot of natural ability and natural hitting ability; we've seen it at practice, you know, especially against the spinners. I mean, he can hit a long way, and he can hit the ball very cleanly,” Hussey was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo. 

"But it's still a big ask for a young player to come in for his first IPL game against arguably the best T20 bowler of all time, Rashid Khan, and hit the first ball that you face for six. I mean, that's just crazy, isn't it? So we're very excited for him,” he added.

He's just trying to soak up as much knowledge as he possibly can: Hussey

Furthermore, Hussey lauded the performance of New Zealand’s Rachin Ravindra as well. It is worth noting that the Kiwi batter scored 46 runs in 20 deliveries, opening the innings for CSK against GT. Speaking of his performance, Hussey opined that Ravindra is settling well in Chennai and is trying to learn as much as he can.

"He's just trying to soak up as much knowledge as he possibly can, I think he really feeds off the crowd a bit as well. And yeah, once you've got a couple of good shots away earlier, I think his confidence grew and he believed that 'I can perform on this stage and grow from there,” Hussey said. 

"I think he's just gone out there with a clear mind and a nice positive attitude and got off to a good start. There's not a lot to work on with these level of world-class players,” he added.