Sameer Rizvi walked in at 26/4 and walked off as the Player of the Match with an unbeaten 70 off 47 balls in DC’s IPL 2026 opener against Lucknow Super Giants. But who exactly is this 22-year-old from Meerut who once cost Rs 8.4 crore and then got released after one season?
His journey from catching Suresh Raina’s eye at age eight to becoming Delhi Capitals’ match winner is one of the most fascinating stories in Indian cricket right now. Here is everything you need to know about Sameer Rizvi.
The Kid Who Caught Suresh Raina’s Eye at Age Eight
Source: Instagram
Rizvi’s cricket journey started at the Gandhibagh Academy in Meerut under his maternal uncle Tankeeb Akhtar’s coaching. At just eight years old, his fielding impressed Suresh Raina during a Ranji Trophy match so much that Raina gifted him his sunglasses.
Consequently, social media dubbed him the “right-handed Suresh Raina.” He made his first class debut at 16 for Uttar Pradesh and exploded in the 2023 UP T20 League with 455 runs in nine innings, including a 47 ball century.
The IPL Rollercoaster: Rs 8.4 Crore to Release to Redemption
Chennai Super Kings spent a record Rs 8.4 crore on the uncapped Rizvi in the 2024 auction. However, he got just 43 balls across eight matches and scored only 51 runs. CSK released him after one season.
Delhi Capitals then picked him up for Rs 95 lakh, a massive price drop that could have crushed a young player’s confidence. Instead, Rizvi scored 121 runs in four innings during IPL 2025 at a strike rate of 153.16.
The Knock That Changes Everything
Against LSG, Rizvi entered as Impact Player with DC reeling at 21/2. Within six balls, two more wickets fell. He took nine balls to open his account on a seaming pitch. Then, a ramp shot for six off Anrich Nortje broke the pressure.
He attacked Shahbaz Ahmed’s spin with sweeps and cuts before finishing the game with a six off Abdul Samad. His 47 balls in this single innings matched his entire ball count from IPL 2024.
What This Means for Rizvi’s Future
This knock proves Rizvi has evolved beyond a flat track power hitter. He showed patience, game awareness, and the ability to shift gears under pressure.
At 22, with three IPL seasons behind him, Rizvi finally has a captain in Axar Patel and a franchise in DC willing to give him consistent opportunities at number four. The redemption story has just begun.
