Sameer Rizvi starred with the bat in Delhi Capitals' (DC) six-wicket victory over Mumbai Indians (MI) in the IPL 2026 at Arun Jaitley Stadium on Saturday (April 4).

Chasing 163 to win on a slow wicket, the Capitals lost KL Rahul (1) and Nitish Rana (0) in the first two overs. However, Pathum Nissanka and Rizvi added 66 runs for the third wicket to put the hosts in the driver’s seat.

After Nissanka’s dismissal on 44 (30 balls), Rizvi took the matter into his hands and made a mockery of the DC bowling attack. The right-hander narrowly missed a century when he was dismissed in the 17th over for 90 off 51 balls, including 7 fours and 7 sixes.

However, his knock ensured the hosts overhauling reaching the target with 11 deliveries to spare. This was Rizvi's second consecutive half-century of the season, following a match-winning knock of 70* in DC’s campaign opener against LSG.

After receiving the Player-of-the-Match award, Sameer Rizvi reflected on the effort he has put in over the past year to improve his game.

“I have worked very hard on myself because since last year there have been many changes. I worked on all my weaknesses, and I used to have some problems against fast bowlers, so I worked a lot on that throughout the year. The hard work is paying off now, I am batting well,” Rizvi said at the post-match presentation.

He also stressed the importance of adapting to match situations. “I always try to play according to the situation. If the situation is changing, then I play accordingly in both innings. At the start, our situation required some time, so I took my time. Then, according to the situation, once I got settled at the wicket, I played my shots and tried to watch the ball till the very end,” he added.

The 22-year-old explained his approach to handling pressure by taking time to "get set" at the wicket before playing aggressive shots.

“Yes, I try that whenever I come in to bat in such situations, I take some time because with time you get set at the wicket. Once you are settled, you understand the situation better and can play accordingly. Then you do not feel too much pressure about what to do next. Once you get set, things become easier in batting,” he remarked.

Sameer Rizvi, the current owner of the Orange Cap, also talked about entering the IPL 2026 with good form.

“Yes, this is a very important time for any player because if you score runs and bat well here, you gain confidence. You also get opportunities to move ahead, to play more, and to get chances on bigger platforms. So sir, it is a very good thing for us youngsters,” he concluded.