"You can come in anytime if you need any help" - Sameer Rizvi opens up on MS Dhoni's message during IPL 2024
Sameer Rizvi made his Indian Premier League (IPL) debut earlier this year. The youngster was signed by Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for a whopping ₹8.40 crore at the IPL 2024 auction.
The 20-year-old recently spoke about the experience of sharing a dressing room with former Team India captain MS Dhoni. He mentioned that the seasoned campaigner's hotel room was always open for everyone.
Speaking on the 'Second Innings with Manjot Kalra' podcast, Rizvi said (from 10:44):
"He is very supportive. He always used to say that you can also come and talk to me. He said that the door of my room is open for everyone and you can come in anytime if you need any help. Whenever I asked him anything, he explained it very calmly. Despite being such a big legend, he is very down to earth."
Sharing details of the advice he received from Dhoni, Rizvi stated (from 11:40):
"He told me that this is your first year, there is a big crowd, you've been picked for ₹8.40 crore but you don't need to take this pressure because it is unnecessary. He said that the only pressure that you should take is of the game. He said that the pressure will be there but we have to take the pressure for the right thing."
Sameer Rizvi made his IPL debut against Gujarat Titans (GT). He grabbed headlines for hitting star leg spinner Rashid Khan for two sixes in one over. However, the youngster failed to make a significant impact after that. He played five innings in the season, finishing with 51 runs.
"No extra things are forced" - Sameer Rizvi on CSK's team management
In the aforementioned podcast, Sameer Rizvi also heaped praise on the CSK team management. He stated that the players were given complete freedom and nothing was forced onto them.
Suggesting that even the practice sessions were optional and the players were allowed to skip them, Rizvi said (from 12:57):
"It all depends on the player as to what he wants to do and what he doesn't. Even the practice is optional. The best thing there is that the player gets only what he needs and no extra things are forced."
It remains to be seen if the Chennai-based franchise will retain Sameer Rizvi ahead of the upcoming IPL 2025 mega-auction. The side can retain him as an uncapped player for ₹4 crore.