3. Sanju Samson
Sanju Samson was a member of the KKR squad in the 2012 edition of the IPL, but he is forced to sit out the entire season as the Kolkata-based club decides against chopping and changing the lineup too much, finally winning the trophy for the first time under Gautam Gambhir’s captaincy. Gambhir is delighted with Samson’s “special talent,” so he decides to keep him for the upcoming season as well. The decision appears to be perfectly justified, given that the youngster, still only 18, has shown promise, consistently performing for India’s Under-19 team.
Photo Source: Twitter
The 2015 season is average for both KKR and Samson, as the defending champions failed to qualify for the knockout stages, and Samson, aside from a clinical 76 off 46 balls against Mumbai, has a sub-par season by his standards, scoring runs at an average of 20.40 and a strike rate of 125.15. Gautam, on the other hand, believes in the youngster and has him in his plans for next season. Meanwhile, Samson has been included in the Zimbabwe squad.
When the Rajasthan Royals play, Samson becomes the franchise’s face, and his selection to the national squad appears to be a foregone conclusion. Selectors recognize this purple patch and include him in the Asia Cup 50-over squad. Batting fourth, he demonstrated considerable determination and technical ability to warrant his selection. Imagine, if Sanju Samson would have been still part of KKR.