A claim regarding Uttar Pradesh's young batter Sameer Rizvi who made his IPL debut playing for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK)—is rapidly going viral. This claim alleges that Rizvi advised CSK's former captain, MS Dhoni, to offer *Namaz* (Islamic prayer), following which he was dropped from the Chennai squad in the very next season. So, let us uncover the actual truth behind this claim.
Several posts surfaced on 'X' (formerly Twitter). One such post read: Meet Sameer Rizvi. He is a cricketer from Uttar Pradesh. He plays for the Kanpur Superstars in the UP T20 League. Chennai had signed him for the IPL. Last season, Dhoni was troubled by a knee injury. Sameer told Dhoni that he should offer *Namaz* to recover quickly from the knee injury.
The post further stated: Dhoni dropped him from the team for the very next match and for the entire season. He even ousted him from CSK altogether.
What is the reality?
Currently, this claim is circulating solely on social media. No official statement of any kind has been issued regarding this matter. As of now, neither the Chennai Super Kings, nor MS Dhoni, nor Sameer Rizvi has issued a statement in this regard. Until a statement is released, this claim will be considered entirely false.
For how much did Chennai buy Sameer?
In the auction held for IPL 2024, Chennai acquired Sameer Rizvi for a sum of ₹8.40 crore. However, Sameer failed to perform up to expectations, leading the team to release him after just one season. During that season, Sameer scored a mere 51 runs across 5 innings in 8 matches for Chennai. Subsequently, in the mega auction held for the 2025 season, Delhi Capitals purchased Sameer for ₹95 lakh. He continues to be a part of the Delhi squad in the current season—namely 2026—and is currently showcasing his excellent batting prowess.
Also Read: The 5 Fastest Centuries for Mumbai Indians in the IPL
