Sanju Samson

Seen as the next biggest thing from Kerala, Sanju Samson is a fine wicket-keeper batsman, who is sound in technique, both with bat and behind the stumps. A fan-favourite and a perennial underperformer at the international stage, Sanju Samson’s is a curious study. Having flattered to deceive on numerous occasions, Samson’s accomplishments in the IPL and at the domestic level only accentuated his unrealised potential at the highest level. He made his first-class debut at the age of 17 for Kerala against Vidarbha and made an impact almost immediately as he scored two hundreds and a fifty in five appearances the next season. He was signed by the Kolkata Knight Riders in 2012 but he did not get a game. It was for the Rajasthan Royals that Samson made a name for himself in the IPL in 2013.

Samson was sent to the UAE to represent the country in the 2012 Under-19 World Cup and he did not disappoint the selectors. He was the top run-getter for India and was the only player in the side to hit three fifties. In fact, he finished 6th in the list of batsmen with most runs in the entire tournament despite India not qualifying to the semi-final.

When Dravid was mentoring the Royals in IPL-7, he spoke highly of Samson and added that he is one of the players in the current lot who will excel for India in the near future. Consistent performances in the IPL meant Samson was picked for the Zimbabwe tour in 2015. He made his first appearance for India in a T20 game, where he scored 19.