Star India batter Sanju Samson revealed an emotional story from his early IPL days with the Rajasthan Royals (RR). However, Samson is currently with the Indian team that is playing a five-match T20I series in England. Sanju Samson recalled attending the RR trials for the first time in Jaipur and meeting the legendary player Rahul Dravid. He also added how former India pacer S Sreesanth, who was playing for RR at the time, asked Dravid to look at Samson as well.

“The trials were in Jaipur. Rahul Dravid came to see me for the first time. As soon as he came, the first thing itself, Sreesanth told him to look at this guy, saying he has scored a lot of runs, hit a lot of fours and sixes and this and that. He made a lot of stories for me there, and I also hit a few sixes then, as per those stories,” he said in a conversation with Aakash Chopra on Star Sports.

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“Rahul Sir told me that he would make me play. He told me he would give me an opportunity. I did well in the Syed Mushtaq Ali. We played a practice match before the IPL, and I did not do well in that game. In the XI for the first game, my name was not there. I was very sad. But that was a blessing, actually. I got some time in such a big league to sit out and figure out what I have to do. I would talk to Rahul Sir every day. I had a small diary, and I would make notes and practice that way. Luckily, Dishant Yagnik got injured, and I got a chance. I won that game. But then he got fit in the next game, and I was out again,” he shared again.

However, Sanju Samson also shared how Sreesanth played an important role in his career. He also recalled being dropped from the Kerala side during a domestic competition and how Sreesanth got him back into the team, following which he scored runs and made it to the RR trials as well.

“Sreesanth is a very generous guy. When I was young, I would see that every year he would take five to six guys for RR trials. I was dropped from the Kerala team at that time and was not scoring runs. Sree was playing for India and came to play a crucial knockout match for us. He called the secretary and told him that he wanted Sanju in the team. They said he is not performing, but Sree told he wanted me. We were playing Andhra, and I scored some 140 there. After the game, he told me he would take me for RR trials,” he concluded.