One of the most fearsome batters in T20 cricket, Sanju Samson has experienced many highs and lows in his career. While he is arguably the best wicket-keeping batter in the Indian Premier League over the last few seasons, the Rajasthan Royals captain hasn’t yet cemented his place in the national side. 

He, however, is always remains in the scheme of things. With Ishan Kishan enduring a lean patch, the team management is likely to turn towards Samson as a backup wicket-keeper for the upcoming T20 World Cup in Australia. 

In the latest episode of Breakfast With Champions, Sanju Samson talked about the role Rahul Dravid played in his formative years. The Kerala batter rose to prominence under the mentorship of Rahul Dravid at Rajasthan Royals, where he scored 339 runs in 13 innings in his debut season. A year later he also got his first international call-up, but it didn’t take long to fall out of favour. 

Samson recalled how Dravid encouraged him after every shot during the trials: “One of the most special moments in my life, I batted for two days there (trials), and did not bat like this in my entire life. After hitting every shot, the voice from behind would say, ‘Shot Sanju’, and it was really magic for me.”

In his first season with the Royals, Sanju even batted with Dravid, who was playing as an opener in that game. Dravid taught him the importance of situational awareness, and how he should bury his ego and respect the opposition bowlers if they are bowling well. 

“Those 3-4 years that I spent with him, I feel I’ve almost asked him everything. Everything is still written in my notebook. After talking to him, I would go back to my room and quickly jot down what he said,” revealed Samson.