April 1, 2026. Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow. Delhi Capitals needed 142, were 26 for 4, and looked dead and buried. Then Sameer Rizvi walked in and changed everything. This is the full story of the rizvi cricketer who single handedly swung the lucknow super giants vs delhi capitals match scorecard in Delhi’s favour, and the remarkable journey that brought him to this moment.
The Match: How Rizvi Won It For Delhi
Lucknow Super Giants were bowled out for 141 in 18.4 overs, with Abdul Samad top-scoring with a 25 ball 36 and opener Mitchell Marsh contributing 35 off 28. For DC, T Natarajan grabbed three wickets for 29 runs while Lungi Ngidi took three for 27. Kuldeep Yadav chipped in with two wickets.
The lsg vs dc 2026 chase could not have started worse for Delhi Capitals. KL Rahul fell on the very first ball to Mohammed Shami, setting the tone for a shaky beginning. Nitish Rana departed soon after, followed by Pathum Nissanka. Even skipper Axar Patel could not steady things, and at 26 for 4, Delhi were in deep trouble.
DC trusted Sameer Rizvi to be their Impact Player, coming in ahead of Karun Nair and Ashutosh Sharma on the bench. He struggled initially. He was on 0 off 9 balls at one stage, and then 5 off 13, as LSG seamers were moving the ball all over the place.
But Rizvi held his nerve. Once the spin came on, he absolutely pounced, hitting four fours and a six in just two overs from Shahbaz Ahmed and Aiden Markram, getting to his fifty off 37 balls. Rizvi partnered Tristan Stubbs for an unbeaten 119 run stand to not only rescue Delhi Capitals but win it in 17.1 overs.
Rizvi hit 70 not out off 47 balls, studded with five fours and four sixes, to take DC past the target with 17 balls to spare. Delhi Capitals reached 145 for 4 in 17.1 overs. Tristan Stubbs chipped in with 39 not out off 32 balls.
Also Read: Lucknow Super Giants vs Delhi Capitals Match Scorecard
Sameer Rizvi IPL 2026: Team, Salary and Price
Sameer Rizvi’s IPL 2026 team is Delhi Capitals, where he continues to grow as their designated Impact Player finisher. Rizvi was retained by Delhi Capitals ahead of IPL 2026 at his existing price of INR 95 lakh. =His sameer rizvi ipl salary is modest on paper, but after a match-winning 70 in the dc vs lsg 2026 opener, his value to this franchise is immeasurable.
- His sameer rizvi ipl price history makes for fascinating reading. In the IPL 2024 auction, he was picked up for INR 8.40 crore by Chennai Super Kings, making him the most expensive uncapped player of that season.
- After scoring just 51 runs in eight innings, CSK did not retain him. At the mega auction before IPL 2025, Delhi Capitals picked him up for just INR 95 lakh.
- From 8.40 crore to 95 lakh and now a match-winning unbeaten 70 in the delhi vs lucknow season opener. That is the Sameer Rizvi story in one line.
As DC chases their maiden IPL title, Rizvi’s ability to provide explosive late innings fireworks is the critical X-factor in their batting lineup.
Early Life: From Loiya Village, Meerut to Ekana Stadium
After Sameer was born in Loiya village of Meerut, his family moved to the Lal Kurti area of Meerut. Sameer used to visit stadiums to watch the matches of his maternal uncle, Tankeeb Akhtar, which inspired him to play cricket.
Rizvi began playing cricket at the age of eleven, practicing at Gandhibagh Academy in Meerut, where he was coached by his maternal uncle Tankeeb Akhtar. Akhtar also faced the wrath of Sameer’s father for distracting Sameer from focusing on studies. His father Haseen Rizvi is a property dealer who initially wanted his son in the classroom, not the nets.
In a Ranji Trophy match between Uttar Pradesh and Saurashtra in 2011, Rizvi caught the attention of Uttar Pradesh captain Suresh Raina, who was impressed by the eight year old Rizvi’s fielding efforts. Raina spotted the talent and gifted him his sunglasses.
That moment planted the seed of a nickname that followed him for years: the right-handed Suresh Raina. Sameer also mastered the technique of hitting sixes with the help of his Uttar Pradesh teammate Rinku Singh, another popular hard-hitting finisher.
Domestic Records: The Numbers That Got Him Here
At the age of 16, Sameer made his first-class debut for Uttar Pradesh in the 2019 to 20 Ranji Trophy against Madhya Pradesh. The following year he entered List A cricket, representing Uttar Pradesh in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
- The real explosion came in 2023. In the 2023 UP T20 League, Rizvi piled up 455 runs in nine innings for the Kanpur Superstars, including two centuries, one of which was the fastest century of the tournament in just 47 deliveries. He also became the most prolific six-hitter during the competition.
- In the BCCI 2023 Under 23 State A tournament, he captained Uttar Pradesh Under 23 and led them to win the tournament by scoring 84 off 50 balls in the final. He also hit the maximum number of sixes in the tournament, 37.
- In December 2024, Rizvi made national headlines by smashing the fastest double century in the U23 State A Trophy, scoring 201 runs off just 97 balls. In the 2025 UP T20 League, he finished as the highest run getter with 491 runs in 10 matches, averaging 61.37 with a strike rate of 189.79, hitting 36 sixes in that single tournament.
- In the 2025 to 26 Vijay Hazare Trophy, Rizvi drove Uttar Pradesh to the quarter-finals with knocks including 80 off 45 balls against Jammu and Kashmir and 88 off 77 balls in the quarter-final against Saurashtra.
IPL Career Summary
Rizvi smashed the first ball he faced in the IPL, off Rashid Khan, for a six over square leg. He then charged at Rashid and cleared the long-off fielder for another six. The debut announced him to all of India. However, he scored just 51 runs in eight innings at CSK and was not retained.
Delhi Capitals backed him at 95 lakh in the IPL 2025 mega auction. He had a lukewarm season managing 121 runs in four innings but ended the campaign with an unbeaten 58 off 25 balls to sign off DC’s season with a win. Now in IPL 2026, his unbeaten 70 in the lucknow vs delhi opener has turned him from a promising talent into a genuine match winner.
Quick Profile
- Full Name: Sameer Rizvi
- Date of Birth: December 6, 2003, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh
- Batting Style: Right-handed, right-arm off-break
- Height: 5 feet 10 inches
- Nickname: Right-handed Suresh Raina
- Domestic Team: Uttar Pradesh
- IPL 2026 Team: Delhi Capitals
- IPL 2026 Salary: INR 95 lakh (retained)
- Coach: Tankeeb Akhtar (maternal uncle)
- Religion: Islam | Marital Status: Single
For a full breakdown of how Delhi Capitals and other franchises built their squads around Impact Player finishers like Rizvi, the detailed analysis at CricThugs gives great context on franchise squad planning in IPL 2026.
From Loiya village in Meerut to an unbeaten 70 that won the dc lsg season opener at Ekana Stadium, Sameer Rizvi is no longer just a name to watch. He is the name of IPL 2026.
Lucky Raina is a complete cricket writer chasing corporate dreams by day and cricket stories by night. Once a promising Under 16 cricketer, life took him down a different pitch but the love for the game never left.
