I Call Dravid Sir Whenever I am in Doubt: Sanju Samson

In a recent interview, wicketkeeper-batsman Sanju Samson gave credit to Rahul Dravid for grooming him as a cricketer. Samson said that meeting Dravid at an early age was a blessing for him.

Sanju Samson on his ‘Dravid sir’

Sanju Samson got a chance to get tips from former India captain Rahul Dravid when he was picked up by Rajasthan based franchise before the 2013 Indian Premier League. He was just 18 then and Dravid’s tip helped him groom as a cricketer, according to Sanju Samson. “Interacting with Rahul sir at the age of 18 was really a blessing for me. I am blessed to have someone like Rahul sir in my life.”

He told Times of India, “Dravid sir is a cricketer and a coach who has gone through rough times and the golden times as well. So, he knows how to communicate or how to convince a cricketer. What type of mindset we should have, or how we should prepare for a tournament, or how we should face failures and successes in our life and much more.”

Samson on early days in RR

Sanju Samson revealed that he never hesitates to approach the legendary name from Indian cricket whenever he needs to clear any of his doubts. “I have learnt almost everything from Dravid sir from the age of 18 to 20 at the Rajasthan Royals and then during my India A stint. I would like to say that not only me, almost every youngster in the Indian team has [been] groomed under Dravid sir. He always says, ‘my doors are always open’. We can call him or contact him and get his advice on any topic. Whenever I am in doubt, I call Dravid sir.”

While speaking about Dravid, most certainly Samson recalled his times with Rajasthan Royals in the initial days of his IPL career. He recalled, “The journey has been amazing with Rajasthan Royals. When I was 18, there was no other team who gave me an opportunity on this big stage. Rajasthan Royals showed their trust in me and they saw the potential in me and they gave me the opportunity. Dravid sir was my captain and when I made my debut, he came and said ‘just go out there and express yourself.”