Indian wicketkeeper batsman, Sanju Samson, credited Rahul Dravid for his learnings in the game, saying it has been a "blessing" to have the great cricketer and mentor in his life.
Samson first met Dravid in IPL 2013, where he was recruited by the Rajasthan Royals (RR) franchise, led and mentored then by the former India captain, at the age of just 18. Samson also enjoyed spending time with Dravid when he was coach of the India U-19 and 'A' sides.
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The now 25-year-old prodigiously talented cricketer says because Dravid himself has seen the swing of success and failure during his playing days, he is really able to communicate with the youngsters well on all things.
"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," Samson told the 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," he added.
Samson, who made his India debut in 2015 and made a comeback to the national side earlier this year, said Dravid had told all youngsters that they can seek his help anytime for things related to their game and life in general. Whenever in doubt, Samson says, he is the person he reaches out to.
"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."
Samson also talked about the relationship built with Rajasthan Royals (RR) over the years, saying he considers the Royals' set-up like his "second family".
"The journey has been amazing with Rajasthan Royals," he said. "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."
"From that day, RR became a second family for me. Whenever I go to the Royals, I am always smiling, happy and laughing. I really enjoy playing cricket with them," Samson added.
(Inputs from TOI)
