ABDUL SAMAD (SRH)

One of the youngest players in the IPL 2020, Jammu and Kashmir’s Abdul Samad has played two seasons of domestic cricket for the team and has impressed a lot. The 18-year-old from Rajouri is known for his hitting prowess despite having a good technique. He is the fourth J&K cricketer after Parvez Rasool, Manzoor Dar, and Rasikh Salam to make into the IPL.

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Spotted first by J&K’s player-cum-mentor, former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan, Samad made his debut against Nagaland during Syed Mushtaq Ali 2018-19 season and smacked an unbeaten 76 of 51 balls, helping his team win the match. “He can bat anywhere and can hit sixes at will. He is a good wrist spinner too. He has got a sharp googly and bowls very accurately for a part-timer,” said Pathan to Times of India.

As for his record, Samad has played 10 FC games, making 592 runs with 2 centuries and 3 fifties with a best score of 128. In T20s, he has 240 runs from 11 matches with a best of 76* at a strike rate of 136.36. Samad will bring value in the SRH middle order, who require a hitter to complement the likes of Manish Pandey.