At 19 years and 58 days, Sanju Samson, the dashing strokeplayer from Kerala, is set to be the youngest entrant in the IPL's rich list after having decided to continue his association with Rajasthan Royals, who offered to retain him for another year. TOI had earlier reported that the Royals were keen to retain Samson, one of the finds of the last edition of the IPL.
Under the Indian cricket board ( BCCI) guidelines for IPL 7, if a franchise decides to retain an uncapped player he must be paid Rs 4 crore. Sources, however, indicated Samson may get less than that amount, though it will be substantially more than the Rs 10 lakh the player got for his efforts last year.
Having fashioned victory for the Indian U-19 team with a blazing ton in the Asia Cup final against Pakistan last Saturday, Samson would have been a sought-after player had he entered the auctions. But the soft-spoken lad from Kerala decided to remain a Royal.
"Money was not the criteria. Royals gave him the platform to showcase his talent last season. So it is in the best interests of the player to continue his association with the same team. He is just 19 and I think Rajasthan will offer him the maximum opportunity, which is important for a player like Sanju," a source told TOI.
Another factor which led to Samson's decision to accept staying back with the Royals was the presence of Rahul Dravid as mentor. Samson had played under Dravid last season and considers the former India skipper to be his mentor.
Samson burst on to the scene last season by carting some of the top bowlers in world cricket all round the park. He scored 206 runs from 11 matches at an impressive strike rate of 115.73. He later enhanced his reputation in the Champions League T20, with the highlight being a 47-ball 60 in the final against Mumbai Indians. If he can replicate that form this season, the youngster may soon be knocking on the doors of the national team.
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