New Delhi [India], April 2 (ANI): Former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen heaped praise on Delhi Capitals (DC) batter Sameer Rizvi for his composure and match-winning impact innings against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the Indian Premier League (IPL), saying he was not surprised by his performance after closely observing him last season.

He highlighted how Rizvi had shown promise earlier despite limited opportunities and emphasised that the youngster justified the team's faith by delivering under pressure. Pietersen added that guiding the team to victory in a high-stakes IPL game is far more valuable and satisfying than scoring runs in less challenging situations.

Pietersen was named the DC mentor last year, featuring in a coaching assignment for the first time in the IPL since last featuring as a player in the league in 2016. However, he pulled off as the Delhi Capitals' mentor before the tournament, citing time constraints

'He played the situation beautifully, and I'm not surprised. I spent a lot of time with Sameer last season, watched him closely. He scored a hundred in a warm-up game but, unfortunately, couldn't find a place in the first half of the tournament. However, when he got his opportunity later in the season, he showed what he was about, and everybody looked up and said, 'This kid is a proper player, and we probably need to invest in him for a period of time.' When you invest in a young player, you need that trust that the player can pay you back, and he has done exactly that in this game. He really delivered under pressure. Once you get your team over the line in a big game, especially the first game of the IPL, in a tense situation and a lot of eyeballs on you, not being in the first XI, winning that game makes you feel far better than just scoring a hundred in a high-scoring match,' Pietersen said on JioHotstar.

DC started the 2026 IPL season with a thumping six-wicket win over LSG at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Wednesday.

Rizvi played an unbeaten knock of 70 runs off just 47 balls, which helped his side chase down a challenging target of 142 runs with six wickets and 17 balls to spare. (ANI)