Meerut’s Maverick: Sameer Rizvi turns bargain buy into match winner
Sameer Rizvi alongside Karun Nair (Source: Getty Images)
Published - 05 Apr 2026, 09:02 AM• Read time - 2 mins
In a Delhi Capitals line‑up brimming with batting royalty, KL Rahul, Pathum Nissanka, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, it is Meerut’s Sameer Rizvi who has quietly carved out his own niche. His 51‑ball 90 against Mumbai Indians on April 4 was more than just a match‑winning knock; it was a statement.
With that innings, Rizvi joined an elite club, becoming only the eighth player in IPL history to bag three consecutive Player of the Match awards, rubbing shoulders with names like Jacques Kallis, Virender Sehwag, Glenn Maxwell, Virat Kohli, Jos Buttler, and Ruturaj Gaikwad.
From auction splash to redemption arc
Rizvi’s journey has been anything but linear. At the 2024 auction, Chennai Super Kings, a team known as Dad's Army, stunned many by splurging INR 8.4 crore on a 20‑year‑old who had lit up the UP T20 League with 455 runs at a strike rate of 188.8 for Kanpur Superstars.
His debut season, however, was underwhelming, with 51 runs in five innings at 12.75. Released by CSK, he was picked up by Delhi for INR 95 lakhs, an 89% dip in valuation. Yet, that move proved pivotal.
In 2025, Rizvi capped Delhi’s campaign with a blistering 58* off 25 balls against Punjab Kings in Jaipur, chasing down 207 with three balls to spare. It was the first glimpse of his ability to rescue games from precarious positions.
Carving the finisher’s role
Retained at the same price for 2026, Rizvi has repaid Delhi in gold. In the season opener against Lucknow Super Giants, Delhi were tottering at 25/3 on a red‑soil deck offering seam and swing. Rizvi soaked up the pressure, weathered Mohammed Shami and Mohsin Khan’s probing spells, and then unfurled an array of strokes to finish unbeaten on 70 off 47. He took Delhi home with 17 balls to spare. It was a knock that spoke of temperament as much as talent.
Against Mumbai Indians, the script was similar. Delhi were 7/2 inside two overs, chasing 163. Rizvi once again held his nerve, pacing his innings before accelerating into a 90 off 51 balls at a strike rate of 176.47. It was the kind of knock that defines a finisher: calm under fire, ruthless when the moment arrives.
Stocks on the rise
From being a high‑priced gamble at CSK to a bargain buy at Delhi, Rizvi’s career graph has swung dramatically. But with three consecutive Player of the Match awards and a reputation as Delhi’s crisis man, his stocks are soaring. The 89% dip in his IPL price may soon be offset by a surge of more than 100% when the next auction comes calling.
