Twenty-two-year-old Sameer Rizvi, nonetheless very a lot within the early days of his cricketing profession, has already had fairly the journey within the Indian Premier League.
The teen, who hails from Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, has been the story of the IPL 2026 season to this point, taking part in two match-winning innings in Delhi Capitals’ unbeaten begin to the event.
Rizvi has at all times been touted as an explosive six-hitter and one for the long run. The Chennai Tremendous Kings purchased him for a whopping Rs. 8.4 crore on the IPL 2024 public sale and whereas it’s taken him two years to correctly set up himself, he had already proven glimpses of that particular expertise in his debut match within the IPL.
Dealing with Rashid Khan, he was unfazed by the truth that he was going up in opposition to one of the best T20 bowler on this planet on the time, and took him down by whacking a six on his very first ball.
The 22-year-old was finally dismissed for 14 runs in that recreation. However in that transient innings, coming in at six, he had proven he had the potential to be the following finisher, a job that MS Dhoni has been serving with aplomb for nearly 20 years.
Nonetheless, as issues panned out, Rizvi didn’t make an influence thereafter and went on a downward spiral. He managed to attain solely 51 runs from eight innings at a strike charge of 118.60 that season, a pale shadow of the flexibility he had proven for UP within the home circuit and in that first recreation in opposition to Gujarat Titans.
The UP batter was subsequently not retained by CSK forward of the IPL 2025 mega public sale.
Second likelihood
Rizvi, after a tough first stint with CSK, went again to the event the place his performances helped him earn his first IPL contract- the BCCI U-23 ODI Trophy.
Within the 2023-24 version of the event, Rizvi scored two centuries and half-centuries, and likewise hit probably the most sixes within the event (37).
However within the 2024-25 version, Rizvi didn’t simply ship; he made a press release. Desperate to show some extent, the right-handed batter turned the primary batter to attain two double centuries in a single version of the event, each at a strike charge over 190.
His first double century, 201 in opposition to Tripura, got here off simply 97 balls — the quickest within the event’s historical past.
After two good seasons within the U-23 State A Trophy, Rizvi performed extra steadily for Uttar Pradesh within the 2025-26 home season.
| Photograph Credit score:
Okay. MURALI KUMAR
After two good seasons within the U-23 State A Trophy, Rizvi performed extra steadily for Uttar Pradesh within the 2025-26 home season.
| Photograph Credit score:
Okay. MURALI KUMAR
On high of that, Rizvi completed the event because the second-highest run getter and as soon as once more hit probably the most sixes — he hit 62 sixes.
He was rewarded for his efforts with one other alternative within the IPL, as Capitals acquired him for INR 90 lakh on the 2025 IPL public sale.
Lighting up the capital
The UP batter received solely restricted alternatives in his first season with DC, however he impressed each time he received the possibility to play. In DC’s final recreation of the season in opposition to PBKS in 2025, Rizvi was the participant of the match, scoring an unbeaten 58 from 25 balls to assist his facet chase down 206.
Rizvi had one other productive stint for the Uttar Pradesh senior workforce within the 2025-26 home season, scoring essential runs within the center order within the Syed Mushtaq Ali and the Vijay Hazare Trophy, regardless of not breaking the choice door down.
And after two topsy-turvy years of setbacks and comebacks, Rizvi lastly introduced himself in fashion in DC’s first match of the IPL 2026 season. With DC pushed to a nook and reeling at 26/4 within the Powerplay, Rizvi, coming in at 4, scored an unbeaten 70 of 47 balls to take his facet house. What stood out in that innings was not his boundary-finding means, a talent that has been central to Rizvi’s gameplay.
It was the maturity he confirmed, the way through which the 22-year-old curbed his pure attacking instincts and performed responsibly to assist his facet cross the road, a high quality that we’re maybe witnessing for the primary time within the teen. Rizvi adopted it up with an equally accountable and extremely impactful innings of 90 off 51 in opposition to a Jasprit Bumrah-led Mumbai Indians bowling lineup, when DC received into early hassle whereas chasing but once more.
And identical to that, from not realizing if he’ll get the possibility to play within the IPL once more, Rizvi has cemented himself as a significant cog within the Delhi Capitals batting lineup. Rizvi idolises Dhoni, going by his profile image on his Instagram account. Whereas he isn’t precisely taking part in the finisher function for DC, there isn’t any doubt the grasp could be his apprentice feeling happy with his improvement as a cricketer.
It’s solely going to be up and upwards for the 22-year-old from UP from right here on.
Printed on Apr 05, 2026