It was a dream come true when Rahul Dravid asked me to play for Rajasthan Royals – Sanju Samson

India’s talented wicket-keeper batsman Sanju Samson recalled the time when former Rajasthan Royals coach Rahul Dravid asked him to play for the franchise. Samson had come for the trails when Dravid spotted him for the first time and the Kerala batsman was able to impress the Indian veteran.

It opened new doors of opportunities for the youngster as he knew the benefits of playing under the tutelage of Rahul Dravid will be huge. In fact, Samson has always given credit to his mentor for shaping his career.

Samson has shown great promise and his timing has a touch of class. The right-hander is a treat to the eyes when he gets going and can score at a healthy strike-rate. However, Samson needs to be more consistent in the domestic circuit to get regular chances in the national team.

Samson added Rahul Dravid is always there for him if he calls him for some help.

“Rahul bhai and Zubin Bharucha (RR Head of Cricket) were taking trials for Rajasthan Royals,” said Samson in a conversation with RR spin consultant Ish Sodhi for the franchise’s podcast.

“I played a really good knock there, at the end of the second day, Rahul bhai came to me and asked ‘Would you play for my team?’ It was like a dream for me, to have Rahul bhai come and ask me to play for him.

“At the IPL also I didn’t play the first six games. I would always talk to him and other senior players like (Shane) Watson, (Brad) Hodge and learn from them. Even today if I call him and ask for help, he’s always there to help me.”

Meanwhile, Sanju Samson has played 93 IPL matches in which he has scored 2209 runs at an average of 27.61 and strike rate of 130.25. The right-hander has played only four T20I matches in which he has scored only 35 runs and thus he has failed to grab his limited chances.

Samson’s last match in the Indian colours was the T20I against New Zealand. The right-hander was given a chance to open the innings but could only manage two runs.

The 25-year old has scored 3162 runs in 55 first-class matches at an average of 37.64. The flamboyant batsman has amassed 2324 runs in 90 List A matches at an average of 30.57. Thus, many believe he hasn’t done justice to the talent he possesses. The right-hander will like to turn the tide in his favour once he plays for the Rajasthan Royals in the upcoming season of the IPL, if it happens.

Written by: Gautam Chauhan