In the face of intense rumors that he wants to sever his ties with the Rajasthan Royals, wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson claimed that his lengthy affiliation with the IPL team has changed both his life and career.
There have been rumors that Samson has asked the Royals to let him go before this year’s IPL auction. If that turns out to be the case, the relationship that began in 2013 would come to an end.
“RR has meant the world to me. A small child coming from a village in Kerala, wanting to show his talent. And then Rahul (Dravid) sir and Manoj Badale sir gave me a stage to get up and show the world what I am made of,” Samson told former India spinner R Ashwin in his YouTube show.
The five-time winners have been mentioned as a potential destination for Samson, and Ashwin has been in talks with the Chennai Super Kings about a potential trade, according to a report on Friday.
“That time, they trusted me throughout. The journey with RR has been really great, and I’m very grateful to have been in a franchise like that. It really means a lot to me,” Samson added.
The 30-year-old right-hander appeared to have at last found some security in his international career, despite the fact that his IPL future is currently the focus of much discussion.
Samson’s three T20I hundreds in five games against South Africa and Bangladesh last year demonstrated his increasing consistency, and the Kerala batsman hailed captain Suryakumar Yadav and head coach Gautam Gambhir for their unwavering support.
“The change happened after the T20 World Cup (2024). Gautam bhai came in, and Surya came in as the captain. I was playing a Duleep Trophy game in Andhra. Surya was playing for the other team.
“He told me, ‘There is a good opportunity coming up for you. We have seven (T20I) games (vs Bangladesh and South Africa) lined up, and I’m going to give you all seven games as an opener,” said Samson.
The current Royals captain recalled Gambhir’s support as well.
“The words coming out from the captain’s mouth itself actually felt, Oh wow, great. I played two games in Sri Lanka but was unable to score runs. I was a bit down in the dressing room, and Gautam bhai came up to me and asked what had happened. I said, ‘After a long time, I got a chance, but I failed to capitalise’. He said, ‘So what? I’ll drop you if you register 21 ducks’. That’s the word which he used,” he said.
Samson claimed these remarks increased his self-confidence. “That kind of confidence from the captain and the coach has definitely raised my confidence. That really helped me go out there and perform,” he added.
