India wicketkeeper Sanju Samson revealed how a lie told to Rahul Dravid paved the way for his IPL career.
India wicketkeeper Sanju Samson revealed a hidden chapter of his IPL journey, narrating how a lie told to Rahul Dravid paved the way for his entry into the Indian Premier League. Samson, the Rajasthan Royals’ captain and their most capped player, unveiled how a fortuitous encounter between former Indian pacer S Sreesanth and Dravid, captain of the Royals at the time, opened the doors for his IPL debut.
A lie that never hurt anyone. In fact, Sanju Samson and Rajasthan Royals only benefitted from it(AFP)
Samson entered the cauldron of the IPL in the year 2009 as one of Kolkata Knight Riders’ vast pool of promising players. After three years of waiting, KKR signed Samson ahead of the 2012 edition. However, having warmed the benches, the franchise, after winning its maiden title the same year, released Samson without even trying him out. It was during this very period that Samson was eager to prove his mettle, and it just so happened that he found his state-mate cricketer S Sreesanth in the right place at the right time.
Unlock exclusive access to the latest news on India’s general elections, only on the HT App. Download Now! Download Now!
ALSO READ: ‘Dhoni shouldn’t play if he wants to bat at No.9…’: Legends fume at former CSK captain for ‘not taking responsibility’
“Being with KKR, I wasn’t getting a look-in,” Samson reminisced in a video shared widely on Twitter. “But during a match against RR, when [Rahul] Dravid was leading them, Sreesanth spotted him in the hotel lobby and vouched for me. He told him, ‘There’s this kid from Kerala who smashed six sixes in an over in a local tournament. We should definitely give him a trial.'”
The enthusiastic endorsement by Sreesanth proved to be a game-changer for Samson. The Royals, clearly impressed by the young talent’s potential, picked him up, and he’s been a vital cog in their machine ever since his debut in 2013. From a promising batter to becoming the face of the franchise to now its captain, Samson has seen it all. Be it the rise of his IPL glory, enjoying a fanbase like no other, or him blowing hot and cold with the Indian cricket team.
Samson’s story was confirmed earlier when Sreesanth admitted to having used lies as a tool to get the young wicketkeeper batter within the RR set-up. In a chat with SportsKeeda last September, Sreesanth, a two-time World Cup winner for India, hilariously revealed that even though Dravid caught his lie up front, it did not take The Wall long to realise just what a spectacular talent Samson was.
“Rahul bhai listened to me when I introduced Sanju to him. I lied to him, I said, ‘This kid hit me for six sixes in a local tournament’. Rahul bhai said, ‘Shree, kuch bhi bol, ye kyu bol raha hai?’ (Say anything, but why are you lying like this),” he had said.
“He didn’t do too well in a few practice games. But when Rahul bhai saw him bat, he was convinced; he came to me and said, ‘Sree, don’t let this Sanju guy go to any other selection; we are signing him. Whether or not he’d get matches, I don’t know, but we would like to sign him.'”
