Delhi Capitals’ Sameer Rizvi celebrates 50 (AP Photo/Manish Swarup) NEW DELHI: “Get ready, here comes the challenge.”That was Axar Patel’s message to Sameer Rizvi ahead of IPL 2026. Little did Rizvi know then how quickly the challenge would arrive – or how decisively he would stamp it with his authority.
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Mukul Choudhary on LSG’s game plan: foster partnership and stay fearless When it did, the 22-year-old released a statement.Chasing 142 against Lucknow Super Giants, Rizvi came on at No.4 and produced a level, unbeaten 70 off 47 balls to guide Delhi Capitals to a six-wicket victory. He came into the ring of fire and his UP teammate Mohsin Khan and the rest of the LSG battery made life difficult for the batsmen. But Rizvi weathered the early storm before settling into his comfort zone and controlling himself.‘No. 4 is his favorite positionRizvi’s comfort in the position comes as no surprise. He entered IPL 2026 on the back of consistent domestic form – 491 runs in the UP T20 League, batting primarily at No.4.“I feel comfortable batting at No. 4. I wanted to bat at the spot and the coach told me earlier that I would come at No. 4 and that he would support me,” he said. “He asked me to play my natural game and stay positive,” Rizvi told reporters after the match.Axar’s comment before the start of DC’s season was a confirmation of the confidence the management has placed in him.According to his uncle and formation coach Tankeeb Akhtar, Rizvi enjoys batting at No. 4, with time in the middle being crucial to his game.“Tujhe 4 pe batting karni hai. Tayyar rehna (You have to bat at No. 4. Be ready). That’s what Axar Patel told him,” Akhtar told Timesofindia.com. “He was very happy. No. 4 is his favorite batting position. When he called me, he was overjoyed and said, ‘That was amazing, mom’)”.
Sameer Rizvi with his uncle and formative coach Tankeeb Akhtar
“Even in the final last year, he played a great knock – he made 58 runs to help Delhi win. That started it all for him. He played a very good knock against LSG as well. The only change was that he needed time in the crease and Axar gave him that time yesterday. Once he had time to settle at the wicket, he was happy,” he added really well.“Mom, you’ll see—I’ll play well this time.Rizvi was the second highest run-getter in the UP T20 League with an average of 61.38 and a strike rate of 161.51. He continued his rich form in the Vijay Hazare Trophy where he scored 238 runs at an average of 59.50.Back home in Meerut, his preparation for IPL 2026 has been intense and methodical.“When he is in Meerut, he bats for three hours at mid-wicket. Medium-pacers, spinners, fast bowlers – they were all used to prepare him for the IPL. He has worked extremely hard for this season. I am sure he will continue his match-winning game this season. When he left, he just said, ‘Mum, you will see this time’ – I will play well.”‘8 crore ho ya 20 lakh – cricket khelna hai bass’Rizvi’s IPL journey has already taken sharp turns. He was picked up by Chennai Super Kings for Rs 8.40 crore in 2024 but struggled to convert his opportunities, managing just 51 runs in eight matches.He was released the following season – a move that raised eyebrows and brought with it an inevitable drop in valuation. Delhi Capitals picked him up for Rs 95 crore. This massive drop in price could have easily upset the youngster, but as Akhtar says, for Rizvi it was always about playing the game, not the price tag attached to it.“Dekhiye bura bahot lagta hai but Sameer ne kabhi dikhaya nahi wo apne shakal pe (Look, it hurts a lot, but Sameer never showed it on his face). Cricket comes first for him. He never talks about the price. He used to say whether it’s Rs 8 crore or Rs, it doesn’t matter which team is playing, it’s Rs 20,” says Akhtar.In 2025, after starting in the playing eleven in the opening matches, Rizvi lost his place to the likes of Abhishek Porel and Ashutosh Sharma and ended up managing just five matches in the entire season – scoring 121 runs at 40.33 and striking at 153.16, including a fifty in the final match for DC.Impact However, this year, Rizvi came into his own as a substitute with a match-winning knock in the first match itself. He will now be hoping for a consistent run – something Akhtar also believes is within reach.“Mauka bahut kam mila tha usko CSK mein (He didn’t get many opportunities in CSK). Even now in the IPL, it was only his second or third chance and he played a very good innings,” says Akhtar, adding that the CSK stint helped Rizvi develop as a cricketer. “He learned a lot from MS Dhoni – both his approach to the game and his mindset evolved. But when Dhoni stepped down as captain, everything changed. I even asked him about opportunities or a shift in the batting order. He said the captaincy is different now. He just wasn’t getting enough chances, that’s all,” recalls Akhtar.In DC Rizvi, he seems to have found the ideal support system – a captain who trusts him and a senior professional to lean on.“Axar has supported him a lot. He treats him like an elder brother. He also spends time with KL Rahul. He told him one thing: ‘Focus on your goal’,” says Akhtar about the DC set-up.From a quiet pre-season heads-up to accepting the challenge outright, Rizvi has shown early signs of seizing his moment in his third year of the IPL.
