How Sameer Rizvi accepted Axar Patel’s ‘challenge’ and seized the moment

New Delhi: “Be prepared, challenges are coming.”that is Axar PatelThis is the message given to Sameer Rizvi ahead of IPL 2026. At the time, Rizvi had no idea how quickly the challenge would come, or how decisively he would stamp his authority on it.The 22-year-old released a statement when it happened.Against Lucknow Supergiants, Rizvi finished fourth with a score of 142 and scored an unbeaten 70 off 47 balls to lead Delhi Capitals to a six-wicket victory. He walked into the ring of fire, where his UP teammate Mohsin Khan and the rest of the LSG pace battery made life difficult for the batsmen. But Rizvi weathered the early storm before settling into his comfort zone and controlling the acceleration.‘No. 4 is his favorite position’Rizvi’s satisfaction with the position is not surprising. He enters IPL 2026 on the back of consistent domestic form – scoring 491 runs in the UP T20 League and ranking fourth in the main batting order.“I am comfortable batting at No. 4. I want to bat live and the coach told me earlier that I will bat at No. 4 and they will support me,” he said. “He asked me to play my natural game and stay positive,” Rizvi told reporters after the match.Aksa’s reminder before the season opener in Washington, D.C., was a testament to the trust the front office has in him.According to his uncle and coach Tankeeeb Akhtar, Rizvi likes to bat at No. 4 and the time in between is the key to his game.“You have to hit No. 4. Be prepared.” [You have to bat at No. 4. Be ready]. That’s what Axar Patel told him,” Akhtar told Timesofindia.com. “He was very happy. No. 4 is his favorite batting position. When he called me, he was so happy and said, ‘That’s great, mamu’]”.

“Even in the last game last year, he batted brilliantly and scored 58 runs to help Delhi win. That’s how it all started for him. He batted really well against LSG too. The only change was that he needed time at the crease and Axar gave him time yesterday. Once he got time to settle at the wicket, he batted well. He is happy,” he added.“Mamu, you will see – I will fight well this time”Rizvi is the second highest scorer in the UP T20 league with an average of 61.38 and a strike rate of 161.51. He continued his rich form in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, scoring 238 runs at an average of 59.50.Back home in Meerut, he is making intense and methodical preparations for the 2026 IPL.“When he was in Meerut, he batted on center wicket for three hours. Medium-pacers, spinners, fast bowlers – everyone was used to prepare him for the IPL. He has worked very hard this season. I believe he will continue to have winning performances this season. When leaving, he just said, ‘Mamu, you will see – I will play well this time’,” Akhtar said.“8 Crore ho ya 20 Lakh – cricket khelna hai bass”Rizvi’s IPL journey has taken a sharp turn. selector chennai super kings He is worth Rs 840 crore in 2024, but he struggled to seize opportunities and managed only 51 runs in 8 games.He was fired the following season – a move that raised eyebrows and inevitably brought a drop in valuation. Delhi Capitals signed him for Rs 95 lakh. The drastic price drop might easily have upset the youngster, but as Akhtar said, for Rizvi, what matters is playing the game, not the price tag attached to it.“Look, it looks like a lot, but Samir never shows it in his food. [Look, it does hurt a lot, but Sameer never showed it on his face]. Cricket comes first for him. He never talks about the price tag. He once said that whether it is a base price of Rs 8 crore or Rs 20 lakh, he just wants to play cricket, no matter which IPL team it is,” Akhtar said.In 2025, after starting the initial innings, Rizvi was replaced by the likes of Abhishek Porel and Ashutosh Sharma and ended up playing just 5 games throughout the season – scoring 121 runs at 40.33 and 153.16, including scoring 50 runs in the final game in DC.make an impact This year, however, Rizvi made his mark as an influential substitute with a winning goal in his first game. He now hopes to maintain a consistent run – something Akhtar also believes is achievable.“The opportunities I got at CSK were much less than I thought. [He didn’t get many opportunities at CSK]. Even now in the IPL, this is just his second or third chance and he has played a very good innings,” Akhtar said, adding that the CSK experience has really helped Rizvi grow as a cricketer. “He has learned a lot from MS Dhoni – his approach to the game and his thinking have developed. But everything changed when Dhoni resigned as captain. I even asked him about opportunities or moving up the batting order. He said the captain was different now. He just didn’t get enough opportunities, that’s all. “Akhtar recalled.In DC, Rizvi seems to have found an ideal support system – a captain who believes in him and a senior pro he can rely on.“Axar gave him a lot of support. He treated him like an elder brother. He also spent time with KL Rahul. He told him one thing: ‘Focus on your target’,” Akhtar said of the DC set-up.From quiet one-on-ones in pre-season to rising to the challenge, Rizvi has shown early signs that he can seize his moment in the third year of the IPL.