Sanju Samson IPL debut: Sanju Samson IPL teams full list

Sanju Samson IPL teams: The Indian wicker-keeper batter has played for a couple of franchises in the Indian Premier League.

Rajasthan Royals captain Sanju Samson has revealed the “most special moment” of his life. Interestingly, the same has got to do with former India captain and current head coach Rahul Dravid.

Speaking to Gaurav Kapur on his YouTube chat show Breakfast With Champions, Samson shared an anecdote about how Dravid had vociferously cheered for him in the nets. According to Samson, he hasn’t batted like those two days ever after and the prospect of Dravid applauding him has made it into an unforgettable memory.

Sanju Samson IPL debut

Samson, 27, also recollected an incident of batting alongside Dravid in his second IPL match in 2013. Samson, who had replaced current Royals fielding coach Dishant Yagnik to make his IPL debut against Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) in Jaipur nine years ago, had played his second match against Royal Challengers Bangalore at the same venue later that month.

Coming in to bat at No. 3 in the third over of a 172-run chase, Samson had shared a 27-run partnership with Dravid before scoring a match-winning 63 (41) with the help of seven fours and two sixes.

“I never though I’d bat with Rahul Dravid. I had batted at No. 3 in my first or second [second] match. Rahul sir had opened [with Ajinkya Rahane]. I knew they’d sent me to hit and I did something and the ball went for a boundary,” Samson said on the chat show.

Samson further divulged how Dravid asked him to remain calm but soon changed his advice after he pulled R Vinay Kumar for a boundary on the following delivery as well. Dravid, who had always rated Samson highly, had predicted him to play for India during his stint as a head coach at Delhi Daredevils (now Capitals) in 2016.

Sanju Samson IPL teams

Samson, who had played his first three IPL seasons (2013-2015) at Rajasthan, then moved to Delhi for a couple of seasons. It was in 2018 that RR bought Samson for the second time. Consistent performances for three seasons resulted in Samson getting a promotion as the captain of the franchise in IPL 2021.

In what is currently his eighth season for Royals, Samson has scored 2,689 runs in 99 innings at an average and strike rate of 30.21 and 138.03 respectively. The right-hand batter has also scored two centuries and 14 half-centuries for Rajasthan in the IPL.

During IPL 2016-2017, Samson had scored 677 runs in 28 innings at an average and strike rate of 27.08 and 127.26 respectively for Delhi which comprised of a century and three half-centuries.