Tankeeb Akhtar, the coach at the Cantt Cricket Academy in Gandhibagh, Meerut, recalls the ‘char rupay wala anda ball’ (‘egg-ball’ costing Rs 4). The plastic ball, used for casual cricket, was hit with sweet timing by a six-year-old Sameer Rizvi.
Akhtar, Rizvi’s maternal uncle, dreamt of becoming an allrounder but by the time he moved from Baragaon village to Meerut town, he was past his prime. In Rizvi, the youngest of four children, he spotted potential.
“I was impressed with his fielding. For a six-year-old, he had good ball sense. He was confident of hitting the ball too. Not the leather ball because he was a small kid but the ‘anda ball’,” Akhtar told The Indian Express on Thursday. Akhtar was taking a gamble by introducing cricket to the kid because Rizvi’s father Haseen, a property-broker, feared he would end up like his mamu.
Rizvi’s IPL career has seen ups and downs. Wednesday in Lucknow was a high point.
A SIX TO SEAL IT! 🙌
Sameer Rizvi does it in style 🥳@DelhiCapitals kick off their #TATAIPL 2026 campaign with a 6️⃣-wicket victory 👏👏
Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/lfP7dRNKfg#KhelBindaas | #LSGvDC pic.twitter.com/vVPkz5kqzd
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 1, 2026
Akhtar watched Rizvi, the impact player, ace the chase against Lucknow Super Giants by scoring an unbeaten 70 from 47 balls after Delhi Capitals stumbled to 26/4. More than the clean hitting, Rizvi’s calmness when wickets fell impressed Akhtar.
“He has regained his confidence, which is most important for Sameer because his strength is hitting sixes. Previously, he felt the pressure because he wasn’t sure about getting another opportunity. Sameer can play freely only when he is sure that he won’t be dropped after one or two failures. I believe the team has given him the freedom to play his natural game,” Akhtar said.
This season was loaded with high stakes for Rizvi. CSK bought him for Rs 8.4 crore at the 2024 auction. But he featured in just 5 innings (No.5 the highest spot he batted at) after which CSK released him. He went to Delhi Capitals for Rs 95 lakhs last year. His unbeaten 58 against Punjab Kings was in a dead rubber.
Sameer Rizvi with his uncle and coach Tankeeb Akhtar. (Pic Credit: Express Photo)
Delhi Capitals coaches, Rizvi said, were willing to promote him up the order. “The coaches told me that I would play at No.4 and that they would back me. They told me to play my natural game,” the 22-year-old said after the match.
Rizvi and Tristan Stubbs stitched together a 119-run unbeaten partnership for the fifth wicket after Delhi Capitals were knocked back during the chase of 142. Rizvi took time to open his account, his first run coming after facing eight balls. In a leg-side heavy boundary arc, one shot demonstrated his game sense.
He used the pace of fast bowler Anrich Nortje to play the ramp shot to the short ball for a six to the fine third-man boundary. As much as the timing, the presence of mind was crucial in the execution. “After hitting that boundary I got confidence,” Rizvi said.
Impact Maximum 👊
Sameer Rizvi taking @delhicapitals closer to the target 💙❤️
Updates ▶️ https://t.co/lfP7dRNKfg#TATAIPL | #KhelBindaas | #LSGvDC pic.twitter.com/kvh14mHWFU
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 1, 2026
However, the all-out attacking approach was easier said than done on what Rizvi described as a wicket that aided seam movement and swing. “Stubbs and I discussed that we have plenty of overs and don’t need too many runs so we can take some time to read the wicket. The ball was swinging too… It was tough to play the fast bowlers,” Rizvi said. He targeted left-arm spinner Shahbaz Ahmed with three fours in 10th over to break the shackles. He moved from 40 to 50 with a six and a four off consecutive balls from part-time spinner Aiden Markram.
Akhtar wishes for Rizvi to continue batting at No.4, a spot that gives him the opportunity to control the flow of an innings. He references Sourav Ganguly saying it was crucial that a young Dhoni (148 in Vizag at No,3) got chances to bat higher up the order. “Sourav Ganguly said if you want to see the true potential of a player play him up the order. At CSK, he was playing at No.6 and No.7. In such a situation, it is more about luck than the class of a batsman,” Akhtar said.
Pleased about seeing his nephew play with the same freedom he hit the ‘char rupay wala anda ball’ many years ago, Akhtar says watch out for his favourite shot. “Stepping down the track and hitting a spinner for a straight six.” Like he did to Rashid Khan on IPL debut. In his third year of IPL, sustained excellence from Rizvi and not flash-in-the-pan knocks will seal his spot.
