Kanpur, 30 August (H.S.): Kanpur Superstars secured a convincing eight-wicket victory over Noida Kings in the 25th match of the Uttar Pradesh T20 League 2026, powered by a spectacular unbeaten 91 from Sameer Rizvi. The match was played at Green Park Stadium in Kanpur on Saturday.

Rizvi produced a stunning power-hitting display, smashing 91 not out from just 39 deliveries, as Kanpur chased down a revised target of 129 in only 10.4 overs. The victory kept Kanpur’s playoff hopes firmly alive, while Noida suffered their second consecutive defeat.

Rizvi, who was named Player of the Match, struck 11 fours and five sixes during his unbeaten knock. Abhishek Pandey provided able support with an unbeaten 30 off 17 balls as the pair took the game away from Noida with an aggressive partnership.

The contest was shortened to 12 overs per side after heavy rain delayed the start. Noida made an explosive beginning after being asked to bat, with Shoaib Siddiqui scoring 20 from 10 balls and Madhav Kaushik smashing 31 off just 11 deliveries. Their assault took Noida to 45 without loss in 2.2 overs.

Kanpur’s bowlers, however, fought back strongly. Yashovardhan Singh delivered an outstanding spell, claiming three wickets for just 10 runs in four overs and also bowling a maiden. His disciplined bowling helped reduce Noida to 69 for five.

Noida captain Prashant Veer then steadied the innings with an unbeaten 50 from 27 balls, helping his side reach a competitive 128 for six in their allotted 12 overs.

Kanpur’s chase did not begin smoothly, with both opening batters dismissed early. Rizvi, who came in as the Impact Player, then took charge and launched an aggressive counterattack against the Noida bowling attack.

Rizvi adopted an attacking approach during the Powerplay, making the most of the shortened format. He later explained that in a 12-over match, scoring quickly during the initial overs was crucial because it made the remainder of the chase considerably easier.

Speaking after the match, Rizvi revealed that a finger injury suffered early in the tournament had prevented him from featuring in the starting XI. He said the injury became particularly painful while fielding, and the discomfort also affected his batting. After discussions with the team management, he opted to play as an Impact Player.

“I injured my finger while taking a catch in the first match. After that, I was facing considerable difficulty while fielding. I told the management that I wanted to play as an Impact Player because the pain would increase whenever the ball struck my finger while fielding, and it was also affecting my batting,” Rizvi said.

The young batter said he remained focused on playing his natural game rather than worrying about the required run rate or the situation of the match.

“I was only thinking about playing my game and continuing in the same manner until the end. Whether I needed five runs or 50, I had already decided on my mindset. I was not thinking about who was batting at the other end or whether someone was supporting me. I believed that I had to score the runs myself,” he said.

Rizvi also praised stand-in captain Adarsh Singh for his leadership. According to Rizvi, despite Noida’s aggressive start, Adarsh made timely bowling changes and helped Kanpur regain control of the contest.

He said the pitch was favourable for batting, but the captain handled the conditions effectively and prevented Noida from posting a significantly larger total.

With Rizvi’s explosive unbeaten 91 providing the decisive difference, Kanpur completed the chase in just 10.4 overs and strengthened their hopes of reaching the playoffs.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar